• Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Synthetic Data Using the Synthetic Data Vault (SDV)

    Real-world data is often costly, messy, and limited by privacy rules. Synthetic data offers a solution—and it’s already widely used:

    LLMs train on AI-generated text

    Fraud systems simulate edge cases

    Vision models pretrain on fake images

    SDVis an open-source Python library that generates realistic tabular data using machine learning. It learns patterns from real data and creates high-quality synthetic data for safe sharing, testing, and model training.
    In this tutorial, we’ll use SDV to generate synthetic data step by step.
    pip install sdv
    We will first install the sdv library:
    from sdv.io.local import CSVHandler

    connector = CSVHandlerFOLDER_NAME = '.' # If the data is in the same directory

    data = connector.readsalesDf = dataNext, we import the necessary module and connect to our local folder containing the dataset files. This reads the CSV files from the specified folder and stores them as pandas DataFrames. In this case, we access the main dataset using data.
    from sdv.metadata import Metadata
    metadata = Metadata.load_from_jsonWe now import the metadata for our dataset. This metadata is stored in a JSON file and tells SDV how to interpret your data. It includes:

    The table name
    The primary key
    The data type of each columnOptional column formats like datetime patterns or ID patterns
    Table relationshipsHere is a sample metadata.json format:
    {
    "METADATA_SPEC_VERSION": "V1",
    "tables": {
    "your_table_name": {
    "primary_key": "your_primary_key_column",
    "columns": {
    "your_primary_key_column": { "sdtype": "id", "regex_format": "T{6}" },
    "date_column": { "sdtype": "datetime", "datetime_format": "%d-%m-%Y" },
    "category_column": { "sdtype": "categorical" },
    "numeric_column": { "sdtype": "numerical" }
    },
    "column_relationships":}
    }
    }
    from sdv.metadata import Metadata

    metadata = Metadata.detect_from_dataframesAlternatively, we can use the SDV library to automatically infer the metadata. However, the results may not always be accurate or complete, so you might need to review and update it if there are any discrepancies.
    from sdv.single_table import GaussianCopulaSynthesizer

    synthesizer = GaussianCopulaSynthesizersynthesizer.fitsynthetic_data = synthesizer.sampleWith the metadata and original dataset ready, we can now use SDV to train a model and generate synthetic data. The model learns the structure and patterns in your real dataset and uses that knowledge to create synthetic records.
    You can control how many rows to generate using the num_rows argument.
    from sdv.evaluation.single_table import evaluate_quality

    quality_report = evaluate_qualityThe SDV library also provides tools to evaluate the quality of your synthetic data by comparing it to the original dataset. A great place to start is by generating a quality report

    You can also visualize how the synthetic data compares to the real data using SDV’s built-in plotting tools. For example, import get_column_plot from sdv.evaluation.single_table to create comparison plots for specific columns:
    from sdv.evaluation.single_table import get_column_plot

    fig = get_column_plotfig.showWe can observe that the distribution of the ‘Sales’ column in the real and synthetic data is very similar. To explore further, we can use matplotlib to create more detailed comparisons—such as visualizing the average monthly sales trends across both datasets.
    import pandas as pd
    import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

    # Ensure 'Date' columns are datetime
    salesDf= pd.to_datetimesynthetic_data= pd.to_datetime# Extract 'Month' as year-month string
    salesDf= salesDf.dt.to_period.astypesynthetic_data= synthetic_data.dt.to_period.astype# Group by 'Month' and calculate average sales
    actual_avg_monthly = salesDf.groupby.mean.renamesynthetic_avg_monthly = synthetic_data.groupby.mean.rename# Merge the two series into a DataFrame
    avg_monthly_comparison = pd.concat.fillna# Plot
    plt.figure)
    plt.plotplt.plotplt.titleplt.xlabelplt.ylabelplt.xticksplt.gridplt.legendplt.ylim# y-axis starts at 0
    plt.tight_layoutplt.showThis chart also shows that the average monthly sales in both datasets are very similar, with only minimal differences.
    In this tutorial, we demonstrated how to prepare your data and metadata for synthetic data generation using the SDV library. By training a model on your original dataset, SDV can create high-quality synthetic data that closely mirrors the real data’s patterns and distributions. We also explored how to evaluate and visualize the synthetic data, confirming that key metrics like sales distributions and monthly trends remain consistent. Synthetic data offers a powerful way to overcome privacy and availability challenges while enabling robust data analysis and machine learning workflows.

    Check out the Notebook on GitHub. All credit for this research goes to the researchers of this project. Also, feel free to follow us on Twitter and don’t forget to join our 95k+ ML SubReddit and Subscribe to our Newsletter.
    Arham IslamI am a Civil Engineering Graduatefrom Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, and I have a keen interest in Data Science, especially Neural Networks and their application in various areas.Arham Islamhttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/arhamislam/Step-by-Step Guide to Create an AI agent with Google ADKArham Islamhttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/arhamislam/Implementing an LLM Agent with Tool Access Using MCP-UseArham Islamhttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/arhamislam/Implementing an AgentQL Model Context ProtocolServerArham Islamhttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/arhamislam/Implementing An Airbnb and Excel MCP Server
    #stepbystep #guide #creating #synthetic #data
    Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Synthetic Data Using the Synthetic Data Vault (SDV)
    Real-world data is often costly, messy, and limited by privacy rules. Synthetic data offers a solution—and it’s already widely used: LLMs train on AI-generated text Fraud systems simulate edge cases Vision models pretrain on fake images SDVis an open-source Python library that generates realistic tabular data using machine learning. It learns patterns from real data and creates high-quality synthetic data for safe sharing, testing, and model training. In this tutorial, we’ll use SDV to generate synthetic data step by step. pip install sdv We will first install the sdv library: from sdv.io.local import CSVHandler connector = CSVHandlerFOLDER_NAME = '.' # If the data is in the same directory data = connector.readsalesDf = dataNext, we import the necessary module and connect to our local folder containing the dataset files. This reads the CSV files from the specified folder and stores them as pandas DataFrames. In this case, we access the main dataset using data. from sdv.metadata import Metadata metadata = Metadata.load_from_jsonWe now import the metadata for our dataset. This metadata is stored in a JSON file and tells SDV how to interpret your data. It includes: The table name The primary key The data type of each columnOptional column formats like datetime patterns or ID patterns Table relationshipsHere is a sample metadata.json format: { "METADATA_SPEC_VERSION": "V1", "tables": { "your_table_name": { "primary_key": "your_primary_key_column", "columns": { "your_primary_key_column": { "sdtype": "id", "regex_format": "T{6}" }, "date_column": { "sdtype": "datetime", "datetime_format": "%d-%m-%Y" }, "category_column": { "sdtype": "categorical" }, "numeric_column": { "sdtype": "numerical" } }, "column_relationships":} } } from sdv.metadata import Metadata metadata = Metadata.detect_from_dataframesAlternatively, we can use the SDV library to automatically infer the metadata. However, the results may not always be accurate or complete, so you might need to review and update it if there are any discrepancies. from sdv.single_table import GaussianCopulaSynthesizer synthesizer = GaussianCopulaSynthesizersynthesizer.fitsynthetic_data = synthesizer.sampleWith the metadata and original dataset ready, we can now use SDV to train a model and generate synthetic data. The model learns the structure and patterns in your real dataset and uses that knowledge to create synthetic records. You can control how many rows to generate using the num_rows argument. from sdv.evaluation.single_table import evaluate_quality quality_report = evaluate_qualityThe SDV library also provides tools to evaluate the quality of your synthetic data by comparing it to the original dataset. A great place to start is by generating a quality report You can also visualize how the synthetic data compares to the real data using SDV’s built-in plotting tools. For example, import get_column_plot from sdv.evaluation.single_table to create comparison plots for specific columns: from sdv.evaluation.single_table import get_column_plot fig = get_column_plotfig.showWe can observe that the distribution of the ‘Sales’ column in the real and synthetic data is very similar. To explore further, we can use matplotlib to create more detailed comparisons—such as visualizing the average monthly sales trends across both datasets. import pandas as pd import matplotlib.pyplot as plt # Ensure 'Date' columns are datetime salesDf= pd.to_datetimesynthetic_data= pd.to_datetime# Extract 'Month' as year-month string salesDf= salesDf.dt.to_period.astypesynthetic_data= synthetic_data.dt.to_period.astype# Group by 'Month' and calculate average sales actual_avg_monthly = salesDf.groupby.mean.renamesynthetic_avg_monthly = synthetic_data.groupby.mean.rename# Merge the two series into a DataFrame avg_monthly_comparison = pd.concat.fillna# Plot plt.figure) plt.plotplt.plotplt.titleplt.xlabelplt.ylabelplt.xticksplt.gridplt.legendplt.ylim# y-axis starts at 0 plt.tight_layoutplt.showThis chart also shows that the average monthly sales in both datasets are very similar, with only minimal differences. In this tutorial, we demonstrated how to prepare your data and metadata for synthetic data generation using the SDV library. By training a model on your original dataset, SDV can create high-quality synthetic data that closely mirrors the real data’s patterns and distributions. We also explored how to evaluate and visualize the synthetic data, confirming that key metrics like sales distributions and monthly trends remain consistent. Synthetic data offers a powerful way to overcome privacy and availability challenges while enabling robust data analysis and machine learning workflows. Check out the Notebook on GitHub. All credit for this research goes to the researchers of this project. Also, feel free to follow us on Twitter and don’t forget to join our 95k+ ML SubReddit and Subscribe to our Newsletter. Arham IslamI am a Civil Engineering Graduatefrom Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, and I have a keen interest in Data Science, especially Neural Networks and their application in various areas.Arham Islamhttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/arhamislam/Step-by-Step Guide to Create an AI agent with Google ADKArham Islamhttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/arhamislam/Implementing an LLM Agent with Tool Access Using MCP-UseArham Islamhttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/arhamislam/Implementing an AgentQL Model Context ProtocolServerArham Islamhttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/arhamislam/Implementing An Airbnb and Excel MCP Server #stepbystep #guide #creating #synthetic #data
    WWW.MARKTECHPOST.COM
    Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Synthetic Data Using the Synthetic Data Vault (SDV)
    Real-world data is often costly, messy, and limited by privacy rules. Synthetic data offers a solution—and it’s already widely used: LLMs train on AI-generated text Fraud systems simulate edge cases Vision models pretrain on fake images SDV (Synthetic Data Vault) is an open-source Python library that generates realistic tabular data using machine learning. It learns patterns from real data and creates high-quality synthetic data for safe sharing, testing, and model training. In this tutorial, we’ll use SDV to generate synthetic data step by step. pip install sdv We will first install the sdv library: from sdv.io.local import CSVHandler connector = CSVHandler() FOLDER_NAME = '.' # If the data is in the same directory data = connector.read(folder_name=FOLDER_NAME) salesDf = data['data'] Next, we import the necessary module and connect to our local folder containing the dataset files. This reads the CSV files from the specified folder and stores them as pandas DataFrames. In this case, we access the main dataset using data[‘data’]. from sdv.metadata import Metadata metadata = Metadata.load_from_json('metadata.json') We now import the metadata for our dataset. This metadata is stored in a JSON file and tells SDV how to interpret your data. It includes: The table name The primary key The data type of each column (e.g., categorical, numerical, datetime, etc.) Optional column formats like datetime patterns or ID patterns Table relationships (for multi-table setups) Here is a sample metadata.json format: { "METADATA_SPEC_VERSION": "V1", "tables": { "your_table_name": { "primary_key": "your_primary_key_column", "columns": { "your_primary_key_column": { "sdtype": "id", "regex_format": "T[0-9]{6}" }, "date_column": { "sdtype": "datetime", "datetime_format": "%d-%m-%Y" }, "category_column": { "sdtype": "categorical" }, "numeric_column": { "sdtype": "numerical" } }, "column_relationships": [] } } } from sdv.metadata import Metadata metadata = Metadata.detect_from_dataframes(data) Alternatively, we can use the SDV library to automatically infer the metadata. However, the results may not always be accurate or complete, so you might need to review and update it if there are any discrepancies. from sdv.single_table import GaussianCopulaSynthesizer synthesizer = GaussianCopulaSynthesizer(metadata) synthesizer.fit(data=salesDf) synthetic_data = synthesizer.sample(num_rows=10000) With the metadata and original dataset ready, we can now use SDV to train a model and generate synthetic data. The model learns the structure and patterns in your real dataset and uses that knowledge to create synthetic records. You can control how many rows to generate using the num_rows argument. from sdv.evaluation.single_table import evaluate_quality quality_report = evaluate_quality( salesDf, synthetic_data, metadata) The SDV library also provides tools to evaluate the quality of your synthetic data by comparing it to the original dataset. A great place to start is by generating a quality report You can also visualize how the synthetic data compares to the real data using SDV’s built-in plotting tools. For example, import get_column_plot from sdv.evaluation.single_table to create comparison plots for specific columns: from sdv.evaluation.single_table import get_column_plot fig = get_column_plot( real_data=salesDf, synthetic_data=synthetic_data, column_name='Sales', metadata=metadata ) fig.show() We can observe that the distribution of the ‘Sales’ column in the real and synthetic data is very similar. To explore further, we can use matplotlib to create more detailed comparisons—such as visualizing the average monthly sales trends across both datasets. import pandas as pd import matplotlib.pyplot as plt # Ensure 'Date' columns are datetime salesDf['Date'] = pd.to_datetime(salesDf['Date'], format='%d-%m-%Y') synthetic_data['Date'] = pd.to_datetime(synthetic_data['Date'], format='%d-%m-%Y') # Extract 'Month' as year-month string salesDf['Month'] = salesDf['Date'].dt.to_period('M').astype(str) synthetic_data['Month'] = synthetic_data['Date'].dt.to_period('M').astype(str) # Group by 'Month' and calculate average sales actual_avg_monthly = salesDf.groupby('Month')['Sales'].mean().rename('Actual Average Sales') synthetic_avg_monthly = synthetic_data.groupby('Month')['Sales'].mean().rename('Synthetic Average Sales') # Merge the two series into a DataFrame avg_monthly_comparison = pd.concat([actual_avg_monthly, synthetic_avg_monthly], axis=1).fillna(0) # Plot plt.figure(figsize=(10, 6)) plt.plot(avg_monthly_comparison.index, avg_monthly_comparison['Actual Average Sales'], label='Actual Average Sales', marker='o') plt.plot(avg_monthly_comparison.index, avg_monthly_comparison['Synthetic Average Sales'], label='Synthetic Average Sales', marker='o') plt.title('Average Monthly Sales Comparison: Actual vs Synthetic') plt.xlabel('Month') plt.ylabel('Average Sales') plt.xticks(rotation=45) plt.grid(True) plt.legend() plt.ylim(bottom=0) # y-axis starts at 0 plt.tight_layout() plt.show() This chart also shows that the average monthly sales in both datasets are very similar, with only minimal differences. In this tutorial, we demonstrated how to prepare your data and metadata for synthetic data generation using the SDV library. By training a model on your original dataset, SDV can create high-quality synthetic data that closely mirrors the real data’s patterns and distributions. We also explored how to evaluate and visualize the synthetic data, confirming that key metrics like sales distributions and monthly trends remain consistent. Synthetic data offers a powerful way to overcome privacy and availability challenges while enabling robust data analysis and machine learning workflows. Check out the Notebook on GitHub. All credit for this research goes to the researchers of this project. Also, feel free to follow us on Twitter and don’t forget to join our 95k+ ML SubReddit and Subscribe to our Newsletter. Arham IslamI am a Civil Engineering Graduate (2022) from Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, and I have a keen interest in Data Science, especially Neural Networks and their application in various areas.Arham Islamhttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/arhamislam/Step-by-Step Guide to Create an AI agent with Google ADKArham Islamhttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/arhamislam/Implementing an LLM Agent with Tool Access Using MCP-UseArham Islamhttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/arhamislam/Implementing an AgentQL Model Context Protocol (MCP) ServerArham Islamhttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/arhamislam/Implementing An Airbnb and Excel MCP Server
    0 Σχόλια 0 Μοιράστηκε
  • Apple Magic Mouse vs. Logitech MX Master 3S: Should You Finally Ditch Your Dinky Magic Mouse?

    Logitech MX Master 3S Wireless Mouse5.0 OutstandingBottom LineSilent buttons and an 8,000dpi sensor bring Logitech's flagship MX Master 3S Wireless Mouse just one or two clicks from perfection.Street Price365.0VSApple Magic Mouse3.0 GoodBottom LineThis 2024 update to Apple's Magic Mouse swaps the Lightning port for a USB-C one, but the rest of the design—including its most puzzling flaw—remains frozen in time.Street Price329.0

    Design and Build QualityThe Apple Magic Mouse is one of the sleekest input devices you can buy. Its glossy, featureless shell evokes a futuristic feeling, a bit like magic, if you will. The aesthetic has more or less defined the mouse for the better part of a decade. While there have been minor changes over the years, like moving away from disposable batteries or—most recently—the switch to a USB-C port from the old Lightning connector, the mouse has looked largely the same since the Magic Mouse 2 was introduced in 2015. You even still charge its battery the same awkward way, by flipping it upside-down to access the USB-C port.It’s a fairly small mouse, too. In my hands, it’s a little too small, and the slight bump at the center barely offers my hand any support. The distinctive body is well-suited for both right- and left-handed users, but the hyper-glossy exterior is prone to smudging. If you're buying the Magic Mouse by itself, you can choose from two colors, though additional options are available with the purchase of an iMac, including green, orange, pink, purple, and yellow. While the Logitech MX Master 3S's curvaceous shape is strictly for right-handers, the larger size offers more real estate for larger hands. While it's not expressly intended to be an ergonomic mouse, the MX Master 3S does offer supreme comfort. A slight wing on the mouse's left flank holds your thumb perfectly, while the soft ridges and smooth, rubber-like exterior feel good in your hands. The Logitech MX Master 3S comes in three color schemes: black, pale gray, and graphite.Both mice look good paired with any Mac. But while the Apple Magic Mouse is a gorgeous mouse, as far as comfort is concerned, there are few that can compete with the Logitech MX Master 3S.Winner: Logitech MX Master 3SFeatures and CustomizationThe Logitech MX Master 3S and Apple Magic Mouse each offer unique features that power users will enjoy. The Magic Mouse supports Apple's Multi-Touch gestures. In addition to traditional right and left clicks, you can perform certain other gestures by dragging your fingers across the mouse. For example, you can drag your finger down the center of the mouse to scroll, or swipe two fingers across the mouse to switch between apps. One thing to note: Apple says the latest Magic Mouse requires a Mac with macOS 15.1 or later, or an iPad with iPadOS 18.1 or later. You can use the mouse with Bluetooth-enabled Macs running earlier OS versions, but functionality will be limited.The Logitech MX Master 3S, on the other hand, comes with additional buttons and a horizontal scroll wheel. The physical MagSpeed Electromagnetic scroll wheel is fast, precise, and nearly silent. A small button sits just under the scroll wheel and cycles between sensor resolution presets up to 8,000 dots per inch. The Magic Mouse does not have an adjustable sensor resolution, and Apple does not list its maximum DPI. Recommended by Our EditorsAs far as software is concerned, the MX Master 3S supports Logi Options+, Logitech’s free, proprietary software that offers tons of additional functionality. Logitech Flow allows you to seamlessly work between two Windows or macOS computers, and even transfer text, images, and files between them. Logitech Smart Actions is a macro builder designed to automate repetitive tasks, and the Logi AI Prompt Builder allows users to build prompts and queries for ChatGPT. The Apple Magic Mouse can’t do any of that, and is obviously only compatible with Apple devices, though it does have a few basic customizable options accessed via the macOS System Preferences app. Winner: Logitech MX Master 3SBattery Life and Wireless ConnectivityBattery life is another important factor in choosing a wireless mouse. The Logitech MX Master 3S offers 70 days of power on a full charge and gets three hours of use from a one-minute quick charge. The MX Master 3S also saves up to three Bluetooth connections, which can be swapped with a press of a button located underneath the mouse. Or, you can use the Logi Bolt USB dongle, which promises a drop-off-free connection up to 33 feet away.The Apple Magic Mouse, on the other hand, offers “about a month or more” of power. It doesn't have a USB dongle, with Bluetooth as its sole connection option. You also can't charge it while you're using it, while the MX Master 3S has a USB-C port for charging right at the front of the mouse.Winner: Logitech MX Master 3SPriceChances are, you want to get the most out of whatever money you've got leftover to spend on peripherals after buying a Mac, and if you're buying an iMac, you'll be tempted to not shell out any additional money at all, since your purchase already includes a mouse. In fact, neither the Apple nor the Logitech mouse is budget-friendly. The Logitech MX Master 3S originally retailed for when we first reviewed it back in 2022. However, it has crept up in price since then, now retailing for For that sum, you’ll get a USB-C charging cordand the Logitech Bolt USB receiver in addition to the mouse itself.The Apple Magic Mouse, on the other hand, retails for and includes a USB-Ccharging cable—if you get the white mouse. For some reason, Apple charges an additional for the black option. Apple products are typically expensive endeavors, but in this case, the Magic Mouse is actually the most economical option.Winner: Apple Magic Mouse
    #apple #magic #mouse #logitech #master
    Apple Magic Mouse vs. Logitech MX Master 3S: Should You Finally Ditch Your Dinky Magic Mouse?
    Logitech MX Master 3S Wireless Mouse5.0 OutstandingBottom LineSilent buttons and an 8,000dpi sensor bring Logitech's flagship MX Master 3S Wireless Mouse just one or two clicks from perfection.Street Price365.0VSApple Magic Mouse3.0 GoodBottom LineThis 2024 update to Apple's Magic Mouse swaps the Lightning port for a USB-C one, but the rest of the design—including its most puzzling flaw—remains frozen in time.Street Price329.0 Design and Build QualityThe Apple Magic Mouse is one of the sleekest input devices you can buy. Its glossy, featureless shell evokes a futuristic feeling, a bit like magic, if you will. The aesthetic has more or less defined the mouse for the better part of a decade. While there have been minor changes over the years, like moving away from disposable batteries or—most recently—the switch to a USB-C port from the old Lightning connector, the mouse has looked largely the same since the Magic Mouse 2 was introduced in 2015. You even still charge its battery the same awkward way, by flipping it upside-down to access the USB-C port.It’s a fairly small mouse, too. In my hands, it’s a little too small, and the slight bump at the center barely offers my hand any support. The distinctive body is well-suited for both right- and left-handed users, but the hyper-glossy exterior is prone to smudging. If you're buying the Magic Mouse by itself, you can choose from two colors, though additional options are available with the purchase of an iMac, including green, orange, pink, purple, and yellow. While the Logitech MX Master 3S's curvaceous shape is strictly for right-handers, the larger size offers more real estate for larger hands. While it's not expressly intended to be an ergonomic mouse, the MX Master 3S does offer supreme comfort. A slight wing on the mouse's left flank holds your thumb perfectly, while the soft ridges and smooth, rubber-like exterior feel good in your hands. The Logitech MX Master 3S comes in three color schemes: black, pale gray, and graphite.Both mice look good paired with any Mac. But while the Apple Magic Mouse is a gorgeous mouse, as far as comfort is concerned, there are few that can compete with the Logitech MX Master 3S.Winner: Logitech MX Master 3SFeatures and CustomizationThe Logitech MX Master 3S and Apple Magic Mouse each offer unique features that power users will enjoy. The Magic Mouse supports Apple's Multi-Touch gestures. In addition to traditional right and left clicks, you can perform certain other gestures by dragging your fingers across the mouse. For example, you can drag your finger down the center of the mouse to scroll, or swipe two fingers across the mouse to switch between apps. One thing to note: Apple says the latest Magic Mouse requires a Mac with macOS 15.1 or later, or an iPad with iPadOS 18.1 or later. You can use the mouse with Bluetooth-enabled Macs running earlier OS versions, but functionality will be limited.The Logitech MX Master 3S, on the other hand, comes with additional buttons and a horizontal scroll wheel. The physical MagSpeed Electromagnetic scroll wheel is fast, precise, and nearly silent. A small button sits just under the scroll wheel and cycles between sensor resolution presets up to 8,000 dots per inch. The Magic Mouse does not have an adjustable sensor resolution, and Apple does not list its maximum DPI. Recommended by Our EditorsAs far as software is concerned, the MX Master 3S supports Logi Options+, Logitech’s free, proprietary software that offers tons of additional functionality. Logitech Flow allows you to seamlessly work between two Windows or macOS computers, and even transfer text, images, and files between them. Logitech Smart Actions is a macro builder designed to automate repetitive tasks, and the Logi AI Prompt Builder allows users to build prompts and queries for ChatGPT. The Apple Magic Mouse can’t do any of that, and is obviously only compatible with Apple devices, though it does have a few basic customizable options accessed via the macOS System Preferences app. Winner: Logitech MX Master 3SBattery Life and Wireless ConnectivityBattery life is another important factor in choosing a wireless mouse. The Logitech MX Master 3S offers 70 days of power on a full charge and gets three hours of use from a one-minute quick charge. The MX Master 3S also saves up to three Bluetooth connections, which can be swapped with a press of a button located underneath the mouse. Or, you can use the Logi Bolt USB dongle, which promises a drop-off-free connection up to 33 feet away.The Apple Magic Mouse, on the other hand, offers “about a month or more” of power. It doesn't have a USB dongle, with Bluetooth as its sole connection option. You also can't charge it while you're using it, while the MX Master 3S has a USB-C port for charging right at the front of the mouse.Winner: Logitech MX Master 3SPriceChances are, you want to get the most out of whatever money you've got leftover to spend on peripherals after buying a Mac, and if you're buying an iMac, you'll be tempted to not shell out any additional money at all, since your purchase already includes a mouse. In fact, neither the Apple nor the Logitech mouse is budget-friendly. The Logitech MX Master 3S originally retailed for when we first reviewed it back in 2022. However, it has crept up in price since then, now retailing for For that sum, you’ll get a USB-C charging cordand the Logitech Bolt USB receiver in addition to the mouse itself.The Apple Magic Mouse, on the other hand, retails for and includes a USB-Ccharging cable—if you get the white mouse. For some reason, Apple charges an additional for the black option. Apple products are typically expensive endeavors, but in this case, the Magic Mouse is actually the most economical option.Winner: Apple Magic Mouse #apple #magic #mouse #logitech #master
    ME.PCMAG.COM
    Apple Magic Mouse vs. Logitech MX Master 3S: Should You Finally Ditch Your Dinky Magic Mouse?
    Logitech MX Master 3S Wireless Mouse5.0 OutstandingBottom LineSilent buttons and an 8,000dpi sensor bring Logitech's flagship MX Master 3S Wireless Mouse just one or two clicks from perfection.Street Price365.0VSApple Magic Mouse (USB-C)3.0 GoodBottom LineThis 2024 update to Apple's Magic Mouse swaps the Lightning port for a USB-C one, but the rest of the design—including its most puzzling flaw—remains frozen in time.Street Price329.0 Design and Build QualityThe Apple Magic Mouse is one of the sleekest input devices you can buy. Its glossy, featureless shell evokes a futuristic feeling, a bit like magic, if you will. The aesthetic has more or less defined the mouse for the better part of a decade. While there have been minor changes over the years, like moving away from disposable batteries or—most recently—the switch to a USB-C port from the old Lightning connector, the mouse has looked largely the same since the Magic Mouse 2 was introduced in 2015. You even still charge its battery the same awkward way, by flipping it upside-down to access the USB-C port.(Credit: Zackery Cuevas)It’s a fairly small mouse, too. In my hands, it’s a little too small, and the slight bump at the center barely offers my hand any support. The distinctive body is well-suited for both right- and left-handed users, but the hyper-glossy exterior is prone to smudging (though it can be easily wiped away with a microfiber cloth). If you're buying the Magic Mouse by itself, you can choose from two colors (black and white), though additional options are available with the purchase of an iMac, including green, orange, pink, purple, and yellow. While the Logitech MX Master 3S's curvaceous shape is strictly for right-handers, the larger size offers more real estate for larger hands. While it's not expressly intended to be an ergonomic mouse, the MX Master 3S does offer supreme comfort. A slight wing on the mouse's left flank holds your thumb perfectly, while the soft ridges and smooth, rubber-like exterior feel good in your hands. The Logitech MX Master 3S comes in three color schemes: black, pale gray, and graphite.Both mice look good paired with any Mac. But while the Apple Magic Mouse is a gorgeous mouse, as far as comfort is concerned, there are few that can compete with the Logitech MX Master 3S.Winner: Logitech MX Master 3SFeatures and CustomizationThe Logitech MX Master 3S and Apple Magic Mouse each offer unique features that power users will enjoy. The Magic Mouse supports Apple's Multi-Touch gestures. In addition to traditional right and left clicks, you can perform certain other gestures by dragging your fingers across the mouse. For example, you can drag your finger down the center of the mouse to scroll, or swipe two fingers across the mouse to switch between apps. One thing to note: Apple says the latest Magic Mouse requires a Mac with macOS 15.1 or later, or an iPad with iPadOS 18.1 or later. You can use the mouse with Bluetooth-enabled Macs running earlier OS versions, but functionality will be limited.(Credit: Molly Flores)The Logitech MX Master 3S, on the other hand, comes with additional buttons and a horizontal scroll wheel. The physical MagSpeed Electromagnetic scroll wheel is fast, precise, and nearly silent. A small button sits just under the scroll wheel and cycles between sensor resolution presets up to 8,000 dots per inch (DPI). The Magic Mouse does not have an adjustable sensor resolution, and Apple does not list its maximum DPI. Recommended by Our EditorsAs far as software is concerned, the MX Master 3S supports Logi Options+, Logitech’s free, proprietary software that offers tons of additional functionality. Logitech Flow allows you to seamlessly work between two Windows or macOS computers, and even transfer text, images, and files between them. Logitech Smart Actions is a macro builder designed to automate repetitive tasks, and the Logi AI Prompt Builder allows users to build prompts and queries for ChatGPT. The Apple Magic Mouse can’t do any of that, and is obviously only compatible with Apple devices, though it does have a few basic customizable options accessed via the macOS System Preferences app. Winner: Logitech MX Master 3SBattery Life and Wireless ConnectivityBattery life is another important factor in choosing a wireless mouse. The Logitech MX Master 3S offers 70 days of power on a full charge and gets three hours of use from a one-minute quick charge. The MX Master 3S also saves up to three Bluetooth connections, which can be swapped with a press of a button located underneath the mouse. Or, you can use the Logi Bolt USB dongle, which promises a drop-off-free connection up to 33 feet away. (Credit: Zackery Cuevas)The Apple Magic Mouse, on the other hand, offers “about a month or more” of power. It doesn't have a USB dongle, with Bluetooth as its sole connection option. You also can't charge it while you're using it (you know, because it needs to be upside-down to charge), while the MX Master 3S has a USB-C port for charging right at the front of the mouse.Winner: Logitech MX Master 3SPriceChances are, you want to get the most out of whatever money you've got leftover to spend on peripherals after buying a Mac, and if you're buying an iMac, you'll be tempted to not shell out any additional money at all, since your purchase already includes a mouse. In fact, neither the Apple nor the Logitech mouse is budget-friendly. The Logitech MX Master 3S originally retailed for $99 when we first reviewed it back in 2022. However, it has crept up in price since then, now retailing for $119. For that sum, you’ll get a USB-C charging cord (USB-A-to-C) and the Logitech Bolt USB receiver in addition to the mouse itself. (Credit: Molly Flores)The Apple Magic Mouse, on the other hand, retails for $79.99 and includes a USB-C (USB-C-to-C) charging cable—if you get the white mouse. For some reason, Apple charges an additional $20 for the black option. Apple products are typically expensive endeavors, but in this case, the Magic Mouse is actually the most economical option.Winner: Apple Magic Mouse (USB-C)
    0 Σχόλια 0 Μοιράστηκε
  • Motorola Razr (2025)

    Pros
    Long battery lifeExcellent displaysAffordable

    Cons
    Average performanceMediocre camerasUnimpressive software update commitment

    Motorola RazrSpecs

    Battery Life21 hours, 35 minutes

    Camera Resolution50MP, 13MP; 32MP

    CPU
    MediaTek Dimensity 7400X

    Dimensions
    3.47 by 2.91 by 0.62 inches closed, 6.74 by 2.91 by 0.29 inches open

    Operating System
    Android 15

    Screen Resolution
    2,640 by 1,080 pixels

    Screen Size
    6.9

    All Specs

    Table of ContentsDesign: Elegant and PocketableDisplay: Fun and BrightPerformance: Passable for the PriceBattery: Better Than Most Non-Flip PhonesConnectivity: A Fine 5G RadioAudio: Loud EnoughCameras: Fun to Use, But Low QualitySoftware: More Support, Please

    The 2025 Motorola Razris an attractive and feature-rich folding phone that keeps its price in check by dialing back some of the specs available to its high-end stablemate, the Razr Ultra. Its inner and outer displays are bright and useful, its compact clamshell design slides comfortably into your pocket, and its long battery life helps get you through the day. But it isn't very powerful, its cameras are so-so at best, and its AI tools aren't the smartest. It's a decent option for those who specifically want a folding phone without spending a fortune, but you can get a lot more bang for your buck with a traditional slab phone like the Samsung Galaxy S25 or even the Google Pixel 9a.Design: Elegant and PocketableAll three phones in the 2025 Razr lineup share basic design cues. They all feature an aluminum frame, rounded corners, an external display that's visible when folded, and a selection of several colors. The entry-level Razr is available in Gibraltar Sea, Lightest Sky, Parfait Pink, or Spring Bud. I received the Lightest Sky model for review. The Razr measures 3.47 by 2.91 by 0.62 inches when closed and 6.74 by 2.91 by 0.29 inches when fully open. It weighs 6.63 ounces, matching the size and weight of last year’s model almost exactly. The phone fits nicely in my hand in both its open and closed positions. It’s also incredibly pocket-friendly. I loved being able to slip it into my back pocket without worrying if the top of the phone was sticking out. The power and volume buttons reside on the right side of the phone. The buttons feel solid and make an audible clicking sound when pressed. A fingerprint reader is embedded into the power button for biometric security. You can use facial recognition via the selfie camera. Both work well, though the fingerprint sensor is more secure. The SIM card slot is on the left side of the phone, while the USB-C port and speaker grille are located on the bottom edge. A little more than half of the rear panel is covered in the white speckled plastic of the Lightest Sky color. It does a good job of keeping fingerprints at bay, but is a little slippery to hold. The color extends about a centimeter above the hinge, before giving way to the external display, which is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus. The display remains dark when the phone is open, giving the back a black-and-white color scheme. Two round camera cutouts and a small flash protrude from the top of the phone when it’s opened. The display wraps around the cameras, which gives the handset an elegant appearance, especially when folded.The titanium center hinge is strong, with minimal creasing visible on the display. You can still see it when the screen is dark, but it isn't disruptive. The hinge is smooth and rated for more than 200,000 opens and folds.Motorola has made all of its flip phones more durable. Every phone in the 2025 lineup, including the entry-level Razr, has an IP48 rating, which means it is dust-resistant and can withstand temporary submersion in water. Display: Fun and BrightThe 2025 Razr's outer display remains unchanged from the 2024 version. It's a 3.6-inch pOLED screen with a resolution of 1,056 by 1,066 pixels for a pixel density of 413 pixels per inch. The refresh rate remains at 90Hz, with a touch response rate of 120Hz. The screen reaches a peak brightness of 1,700 nits. Meanwhile, the Razr+ and Razr Ultra share a 4.0-inch outer display with a resolution of 1,272 by 1,080 pixels, for a density of 417ppi. The screen has a refresh rate of 165Hz with a touch response rate of 120Hz. The outer display on the Razr+ reaches a peak brightness of 2,400 nits, while the Ultra hits 3,000 nits. The Razr's 6.9-inch inner display is similar to last year’s model. It has a resolution of 2,640 by 1,080 pixels for a density of 413ppi. The foldable AMOLED panel has a refresh rate of 120Hz and a touch response rate of 220Hz. It reaches a peak brightness of 3,000 nits. The company includes a built-in screen protector that the phone reminds you constantly not to remove. It's hardly visible, doesn’t bubble, and should hopefully remains in place for the lifetime of the phone. If it doesn’t, the company requires an authorized Motorola dealer to install a new one. A small, circular cutout at the top of the display signifies the selfie camera.The Razr+ has an almost identical display, with the same size, resolution, pixel density, and peak brightness levels. The only difference is that it has a slightly higher refresh rate of 165Hz. The Razr Ultra's screen is bigger, sharper, and brighter than any of the others at 7 inches, 2,992 by 1,224 pixels, 165Hz/300Hz refresh and touch response rates, and 4,500 nits of peak brightness.I was easily able to view the Razr's display under direct sunlight. The outer display might be a smidge shorter than the Razr+ and Ultra, but it is just as useful. Performance: Passable for the PriceThe Razr is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7400x system on a chip, which uses a 4nm process and comes with a Mali-G615 GPU and a sixth-generation NPU. It is available in a single configuration with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. There's no microSD card slot, so if you need more storage space, you’ll have to step up to the much more expensive Razr Ultra, which is available in a 512GB model. The phone generally performs well with daily tasks, even when running multiple apps at the same time. Once in a while, I noticed short delays when switching between apps, but nothing that I considered egregious. The Razr isn’t the fastest phone on the market, but it’s completely usable. On Geekbench 6, which measures CPU performance, the Razr got a single-core score of 1,072 and a multi-core score of 3,035. These results show only slight improvement over last year’s model. In comparison, the Razr Ultra comes with the top-of-the-line Snapdragon 8 Elite processorand scored an impressive 2,913 and 8,727. Meanwhile, Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 6, which uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, scored 2,133 and 6,134. To test GPU performance, I ran the Razr through the GFXBench suite of tests. It handled Aztec Ruins at 23fps, which is only marginally better than last year’s model, but slower than the Z Flip 6and the Razr Ultra. Despite its lack of power, the Razr still manages to do most of what you want it to. I was able to play graphically intensive games, such as Genshin Impact, albeit at lower frame rates. It played well and only stuttered during moments of intense combat. Less graphically demanding games, such as Alto’s Odyssey, played without a hitch. And, unlike the Razr Ultra, the Razr never became warm to the touch. Battery: Better Than Most Non-Flip PhonesBattery life is a selling point for the Razr. The phone has a 4,500mAh battery, an improvement over last year’s 4,200mAh battery. It lasted 21 hours and 35 minutes in testing, for which I streamed an HD video over Wi-Fi with the screen brightness turned all the way up. This is a noticeable improvement over the 2024 model, which ran for 16 hours and 5 minutes. The 2025 Razr easily outlasts the Z Flip 6, which stopped running after 16 hours and 20 minutes. The Razr+ has a smaller 4,000mAh battery, while the 4,7000mAh Razr Ultra lasted 22 hours and 33 minutes in the same test. The Razr supports 30W wired charging, 15W wireless charging, and 5W reverse wireless charging for accessories. The Razr+ charges faster via wirebut at the same rate on a wireless charging pad. The Z Flip 6 supports 25W wired, 15W wireless, and 4.5W reverse wireless charging. Meanwhile, the Razr Ultra takes advantage of improved charging specs, with 68W wired, 30W wireless, and 5W reverse wireless charging. Recommended by Our EditorsUsing a 96W adapter, the Razr took 1 hour and 16 minutes to fully charge. The phone doesn’t come with a charger inside the box, so you’ll have to provide your own.Connectivity: A Fine 5G RadioAll of the phones in the Razr lineup come with sub-6GHz 5G, though they miss out on the faster mmWave 5G that’s available in some areas. If you want a flip phone with mmWave, you’ll have to grab the Galaxy Z Flip 6. Motorola sells the Razr unlocked, and it should work with all major US carriers.I tested the phone on T-Mobile’s network, where it recorded download speeds of 116Mbps and upload speeds of 4.20Mbps. My iPhone 14 Pro recorded download speeds of 99.2Mbps and upload speeds of 25.1Mbps from the same location.The Razr is equipped with Wi-Fi 6E. When tested close to my Wi-Fi 6 access point, it recorded speeds of 354Mbps down and 18.9Mbps up. The iPhone 14 Pro got similar results, with 369Mbps down and 22.5Mbps up. The Razr's speeds dipped at the edge of the network to 54.1Mbps down and 22.1Mbps up. The iPhone 14 Pro did worse in this location, with download speeds of 26.1Mbps and upload speeds of 15.4Mbps.NFC is available for mobile payments, and Bluetooth is on board for connecting your wireless devices, though Motorola doesn’t specify which version of Bluetooth the phone uses. Audio: Loud EnoughCall quality is good. Callers could hear me well, and I could hear them. The earpiece is loud, at 80.3dB. The speaker is even louder with a max output of 83.5dB. When listening to our test track, The Knife's “Silent Shout," I could feel the bass vibrate the phone. That said, the beats were muddy and not well defined. The volume gets loud enough to listen to music in a small room, but you’ll want to connect speakers or headphones to get the best experience. Cameras: Fun to Use, But Low QualityThe Razr’s main camera has a 50MP sensor with an f/1.7 aperture. It features Pantone color, optical image stabilization, and phase-detection auto focus. The phone has a 13MP ultra-wide camera with an f/2.2 aperture that can capture macro images. These are joined by a 32MP f/2.4 selfie camera. The main and selfie cameras automatically bin the photos by a factor of four, so images come out at 12.5MP and 8MP, respectively. You can take full-resolution shots by using the camera’s Ultra-Res mode. The photos I took with the Razr are uninspiring and peppered with unnaturally bright spots. Blues are brighter and greens are greener than they appear in real life.Main cameraThe leaves at the bottom of the picture above are much brighter than they should be. Further, it's difficult to distinguish individual branches of this tree, even when zoomed in.The camera has three zoom levels. It accomplishes 2x zoom with digital cropping. Here’s a progression:Ultra-wide camera, 0.5x zoomMain camera, 1x zoomMain camera, 2x zoomThe grass is almost neon green, and the dandelions are a particularly bright shade of yellow. Ultra-wide camera, macroShots taken with the macro mode are filled with noise, especially around the edges of these flowers. Selfie cameraThe selfie camera works as expected but isn't particularly impressive.Video capture maxes out at 4K30. The phone is capable of filming with 4x slow motion. Videos appear similar to the photos, with the best footage coming from the main camera. When it comes to flip phones, the Galaxy Z Flip 6, Razr+, and Razr Ultra all have better-performing cameras. Even for similarly priced slab phones, the Galaxy S25 and the Pixel 9a are much more impressive than the Razr.The Razr comes with some of Google’s AI editing capabilities, including Magic Editor, which allows you to circle, brush, or tap an object in your photo to resize it or remove it. You also have access to Google Blur, which blurs the background of a photo, and Google Unblur, which can sharpen a blurry photo. Magic Eraser lets you get rid of unwanted elements in your snaps. Software: More Support, PleaseThe Razr runs on Android 15 and will only get three years of OS updates and four years of security updates. This is the same promise as last year’s products and remains far behind the seven years of OS and security updates found on offerings from Google and Samsung. Just like the Razr Ultra, you can access just about every app directly from the phone's outer display. By default, it features the time, date, battery life, weather, and notifications. A row of apps includes the camera, messages, photos, and Google Gemini. Swiping down from the top brings you all the Quick Settings menu, while swiping left shows you all the apps available on the external display. You can add as many apps and shortcuts as you want by pressing the pencil button in the upper right corner. Swiping left again brings you to your calendar, followed by the weather, and a communications section that houses the dial pad, contacts, and messages apps. Finally, there are a handful of casual games that you can play directly on the outer display. You don’t have to stick to casual games; I played a session of Genshin Impact directly from the external display. The Razr comes with Motorola’s AI offerings, though without the dedicated AI button on the Ultra. The Moto AI shortcut sits prominently on the home screen. Opening it gives you access to the Image Studio, where you can use AI to create images, or the Playlist Studio to make a playlist based on your mood. You can also launch Pay Attention, which will record your meetings and provide you with a transcript, or Remember This, which turns images and text into memories that the AI can use to give you a more personalized experience. You can use Catch Me Up to view a summary of all of your texts and notifications, or just ask Moto AI to perform a Google search for you. The AI tools work as expected, but I don’t find them particularly useful. They take care of tasks that I generally don’t need help with, as I’m not overwhelmed by notifications or stuck in an endless number of meetings where I'm expected to take notes. You may find them more useful.
    #motorola #razr
    Motorola Razr (2025)
    Pros Long battery lifeExcellent displaysAffordable Cons Average performanceMediocre camerasUnimpressive software update commitment Motorola RazrSpecs Battery Life21 hours, 35 minutes Camera Resolution50MP, 13MP; 32MP CPU MediaTek Dimensity 7400X Dimensions 3.47 by 2.91 by 0.62 inches closed, 6.74 by 2.91 by 0.29 inches open Operating System Android 15 Screen Resolution 2,640 by 1,080 pixels Screen Size 6.9 All Specs Table of ContentsDesign: Elegant and PocketableDisplay: Fun and BrightPerformance: Passable for the PriceBattery: Better Than Most Non-Flip PhonesConnectivity: A Fine 5G RadioAudio: Loud EnoughCameras: Fun to Use, But Low QualitySoftware: More Support, Please The 2025 Motorola Razris an attractive and feature-rich folding phone that keeps its price in check by dialing back some of the specs available to its high-end stablemate, the Razr Ultra. Its inner and outer displays are bright and useful, its compact clamshell design slides comfortably into your pocket, and its long battery life helps get you through the day. But it isn't very powerful, its cameras are so-so at best, and its AI tools aren't the smartest. It's a decent option for those who specifically want a folding phone without spending a fortune, but you can get a lot more bang for your buck with a traditional slab phone like the Samsung Galaxy S25 or even the Google Pixel 9a.Design: Elegant and PocketableAll three phones in the 2025 Razr lineup share basic design cues. They all feature an aluminum frame, rounded corners, an external display that's visible when folded, and a selection of several colors. The entry-level Razr is available in Gibraltar Sea, Lightest Sky, Parfait Pink, or Spring Bud. I received the Lightest Sky model for review. The Razr measures 3.47 by 2.91 by 0.62 inches when closed and 6.74 by 2.91 by 0.29 inches when fully open. It weighs 6.63 ounces, matching the size and weight of last year’s model almost exactly. The phone fits nicely in my hand in both its open and closed positions. It’s also incredibly pocket-friendly. I loved being able to slip it into my back pocket without worrying if the top of the phone was sticking out. The power and volume buttons reside on the right side of the phone. The buttons feel solid and make an audible clicking sound when pressed. A fingerprint reader is embedded into the power button for biometric security. You can use facial recognition via the selfie camera. Both work well, though the fingerprint sensor is more secure. The SIM card slot is on the left side of the phone, while the USB-C port and speaker grille are located on the bottom edge. A little more than half of the rear panel is covered in the white speckled plastic of the Lightest Sky color. It does a good job of keeping fingerprints at bay, but is a little slippery to hold. The color extends about a centimeter above the hinge, before giving way to the external display, which is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus. The display remains dark when the phone is open, giving the back a black-and-white color scheme. Two round camera cutouts and a small flash protrude from the top of the phone when it’s opened. The display wraps around the cameras, which gives the handset an elegant appearance, especially when folded.The titanium center hinge is strong, with minimal creasing visible on the display. You can still see it when the screen is dark, but it isn't disruptive. The hinge is smooth and rated for more than 200,000 opens and folds.Motorola has made all of its flip phones more durable. Every phone in the 2025 lineup, including the entry-level Razr, has an IP48 rating, which means it is dust-resistant and can withstand temporary submersion in water. Display: Fun and BrightThe 2025 Razr's outer display remains unchanged from the 2024 version. It's a 3.6-inch pOLED screen with a resolution of 1,056 by 1,066 pixels for a pixel density of 413 pixels per inch. The refresh rate remains at 90Hz, with a touch response rate of 120Hz. The screen reaches a peak brightness of 1,700 nits. Meanwhile, the Razr+ and Razr Ultra share a 4.0-inch outer display with a resolution of 1,272 by 1,080 pixels, for a density of 417ppi. The screen has a refresh rate of 165Hz with a touch response rate of 120Hz. The outer display on the Razr+ reaches a peak brightness of 2,400 nits, while the Ultra hits 3,000 nits. The Razr's 6.9-inch inner display is similar to last year’s model. It has a resolution of 2,640 by 1,080 pixels for a density of 413ppi. The foldable AMOLED panel has a refresh rate of 120Hz and a touch response rate of 220Hz. It reaches a peak brightness of 3,000 nits. The company includes a built-in screen protector that the phone reminds you constantly not to remove. It's hardly visible, doesn’t bubble, and should hopefully remains in place for the lifetime of the phone. If it doesn’t, the company requires an authorized Motorola dealer to install a new one. A small, circular cutout at the top of the display signifies the selfie camera.The Razr+ has an almost identical display, with the same size, resolution, pixel density, and peak brightness levels. The only difference is that it has a slightly higher refresh rate of 165Hz. The Razr Ultra's screen is bigger, sharper, and brighter than any of the others at 7 inches, 2,992 by 1,224 pixels, 165Hz/300Hz refresh and touch response rates, and 4,500 nits of peak brightness.I was easily able to view the Razr's display under direct sunlight. The outer display might be a smidge shorter than the Razr+ and Ultra, but it is just as useful. Performance: Passable for the PriceThe Razr is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7400x system on a chip, which uses a 4nm process and comes with a Mali-G615 GPU and a sixth-generation NPU. It is available in a single configuration with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. There's no microSD card slot, so if you need more storage space, you’ll have to step up to the much more expensive Razr Ultra, which is available in a 512GB model. The phone generally performs well with daily tasks, even when running multiple apps at the same time. Once in a while, I noticed short delays when switching between apps, but nothing that I considered egregious. The Razr isn’t the fastest phone on the market, but it’s completely usable. On Geekbench 6, which measures CPU performance, the Razr got a single-core score of 1,072 and a multi-core score of 3,035. These results show only slight improvement over last year’s model. In comparison, the Razr Ultra comes with the top-of-the-line Snapdragon 8 Elite processorand scored an impressive 2,913 and 8,727. Meanwhile, Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 6, which uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, scored 2,133 and 6,134. To test GPU performance, I ran the Razr through the GFXBench suite of tests. It handled Aztec Ruins at 23fps, which is only marginally better than last year’s model, but slower than the Z Flip 6and the Razr Ultra. Despite its lack of power, the Razr still manages to do most of what you want it to. I was able to play graphically intensive games, such as Genshin Impact, albeit at lower frame rates. It played well and only stuttered during moments of intense combat. Less graphically demanding games, such as Alto’s Odyssey, played without a hitch. And, unlike the Razr Ultra, the Razr never became warm to the touch. Battery: Better Than Most Non-Flip PhonesBattery life is a selling point for the Razr. The phone has a 4,500mAh battery, an improvement over last year’s 4,200mAh battery. It lasted 21 hours and 35 minutes in testing, for which I streamed an HD video over Wi-Fi with the screen brightness turned all the way up. This is a noticeable improvement over the 2024 model, which ran for 16 hours and 5 minutes. The 2025 Razr easily outlasts the Z Flip 6, which stopped running after 16 hours and 20 minutes. The Razr+ has a smaller 4,000mAh battery, while the 4,7000mAh Razr Ultra lasted 22 hours and 33 minutes in the same test. The Razr supports 30W wired charging, 15W wireless charging, and 5W reverse wireless charging for accessories. The Razr+ charges faster via wirebut at the same rate on a wireless charging pad. The Z Flip 6 supports 25W wired, 15W wireless, and 4.5W reverse wireless charging. Meanwhile, the Razr Ultra takes advantage of improved charging specs, with 68W wired, 30W wireless, and 5W reverse wireless charging. Recommended by Our EditorsUsing a 96W adapter, the Razr took 1 hour and 16 minutes to fully charge. The phone doesn’t come with a charger inside the box, so you’ll have to provide your own.Connectivity: A Fine 5G RadioAll of the phones in the Razr lineup come with sub-6GHz 5G, though they miss out on the faster mmWave 5G that’s available in some areas. If you want a flip phone with mmWave, you’ll have to grab the Galaxy Z Flip 6. Motorola sells the Razr unlocked, and it should work with all major US carriers.I tested the phone on T-Mobile’s network, where it recorded download speeds of 116Mbps and upload speeds of 4.20Mbps. My iPhone 14 Pro recorded download speeds of 99.2Mbps and upload speeds of 25.1Mbps from the same location.The Razr is equipped with Wi-Fi 6E. When tested close to my Wi-Fi 6 access point, it recorded speeds of 354Mbps down and 18.9Mbps up. The iPhone 14 Pro got similar results, with 369Mbps down and 22.5Mbps up. The Razr's speeds dipped at the edge of the network to 54.1Mbps down and 22.1Mbps up. The iPhone 14 Pro did worse in this location, with download speeds of 26.1Mbps and upload speeds of 15.4Mbps.NFC is available for mobile payments, and Bluetooth is on board for connecting your wireless devices, though Motorola doesn’t specify which version of Bluetooth the phone uses. Audio: Loud EnoughCall quality is good. Callers could hear me well, and I could hear them. The earpiece is loud, at 80.3dB. The speaker is even louder with a max output of 83.5dB. When listening to our test track, The Knife's “Silent Shout," I could feel the bass vibrate the phone. That said, the beats were muddy and not well defined. The volume gets loud enough to listen to music in a small room, but you’ll want to connect speakers or headphones to get the best experience. Cameras: Fun to Use, But Low QualityThe Razr’s main camera has a 50MP sensor with an f/1.7 aperture. It features Pantone color, optical image stabilization, and phase-detection auto focus. The phone has a 13MP ultra-wide camera with an f/2.2 aperture that can capture macro images. These are joined by a 32MP f/2.4 selfie camera. The main and selfie cameras automatically bin the photos by a factor of four, so images come out at 12.5MP and 8MP, respectively. You can take full-resolution shots by using the camera’s Ultra-Res mode. The photos I took with the Razr are uninspiring and peppered with unnaturally bright spots. Blues are brighter and greens are greener than they appear in real life.Main cameraThe leaves at the bottom of the picture above are much brighter than they should be. Further, it's difficult to distinguish individual branches of this tree, even when zoomed in.The camera has three zoom levels. It accomplishes 2x zoom with digital cropping. Here’s a progression:Ultra-wide camera, 0.5x zoomMain camera, 1x zoomMain camera, 2x zoomThe grass is almost neon green, and the dandelions are a particularly bright shade of yellow. Ultra-wide camera, macroShots taken with the macro mode are filled with noise, especially around the edges of these flowers. Selfie cameraThe selfie camera works as expected but isn't particularly impressive.Video capture maxes out at 4K30. The phone is capable of filming with 4x slow motion. Videos appear similar to the photos, with the best footage coming from the main camera. When it comes to flip phones, the Galaxy Z Flip 6, Razr+, and Razr Ultra all have better-performing cameras. Even for similarly priced slab phones, the Galaxy S25 and the Pixel 9a are much more impressive than the Razr.The Razr comes with some of Google’s AI editing capabilities, including Magic Editor, which allows you to circle, brush, or tap an object in your photo to resize it or remove it. You also have access to Google Blur, which blurs the background of a photo, and Google Unblur, which can sharpen a blurry photo. Magic Eraser lets you get rid of unwanted elements in your snaps. Software: More Support, PleaseThe Razr runs on Android 15 and will only get three years of OS updates and four years of security updates. This is the same promise as last year’s products and remains far behind the seven years of OS and security updates found on offerings from Google and Samsung. Just like the Razr Ultra, you can access just about every app directly from the phone's outer display. By default, it features the time, date, battery life, weather, and notifications. A row of apps includes the camera, messages, photos, and Google Gemini. Swiping down from the top brings you all the Quick Settings menu, while swiping left shows you all the apps available on the external display. You can add as many apps and shortcuts as you want by pressing the pencil button in the upper right corner. Swiping left again brings you to your calendar, followed by the weather, and a communications section that houses the dial pad, contacts, and messages apps. Finally, there are a handful of casual games that you can play directly on the outer display. You don’t have to stick to casual games; I played a session of Genshin Impact directly from the external display. The Razr comes with Motorola’s AI offerings, though without the dedicated AI button on the Ultra. The Moto AI shortcut sits prominently on the home screen. Opening it gives you access to the Image Studio, where you can use AI to create images, or the Playlist Studio to make a playlist based on your mood. You can also launch Pay Attention, which will record your meetings and provide you with a transcript, or Remember This, which turns images and text into memories that the AI can use to give you a more personalized experience. You can use Catch Me Up to view a summary of all of your texts and notifications, or just ask Moto AI to perform a Google search for you. The AI tools work as expected, but I don’t find them particularly useful. They take care of tasks that I generally don’t need help with, as I’m not overwhelmed by notifications or stuck in an endless number of meetings where I'm expected to take notes. You may find them more useful. #motorola #razr
    ME.PCMAG.COM
    Motorola Razr (2025)
    Pros Long battery lifeExcellent displaysAffordable Cons Average performanceMediocre camerasUnimpressive software update commitment Motorola Razr (2025) Specs Battery Life (As Tested) 21 hours, 35 minutes Camera Resolution (Rear; Front-Facing) 50MP, 13MP; 32MP CPU MediaTek Dimensity 7400X Dimensions 3.47 by 2.91 by 0.62 inches closed, 6.74 by 2.91 by 0.29 inches open Operating System Android 15 Screen Resolution 2,640 by 1,080 pixels Screen Size 6.9 All Specs Table of ContentsDesign: Elegant and PocketableDisplay: Fun and BrightPerformance: Passable for the PriceBattery: Better Than Most Non-Flip PhonesConnectivity: A Fine 5G RadioAudio: Loud EnoughCameras: Fun to Use, But Low QualitySoftware: More Support, Please The 2025 Motorola Razr ($699.99) is an attractive and feature-rich folding phone that keeps its price in check by dialing back some of the specs available to its high-end stablemate, the $1,299.99 Razr Ultra. Its inner and outer displays are bright and useful, its compact clamshell design slides comfortably into your pocket, and its long battery life helps get you through the day. But it isn't very powerful, its cameras are so-so at best, and its AI tools aren't the smartest. It's a decent option for those who specifically want a folding phone without spending a fortune, but you can get a lot more bang for your buck with a traditional slab phone like the $799.99 Samsung Galaxy S25 or even the $499 Google Pixel 9a.Design: Elegant and PocketableAll three phones in the 2025 Razr lineup share basic design cues. They all feature an aluminum frame, rounded corners, an external display that's visible when folded, and a selection of several colors. The entry-level Razr is available in Gibraltar Sea (deep blue), Lightest Sky (flecked white), Parfait Pink, or Spring Bud (bright green). I received the Lightest Sky model for review. (Credit: Sarah Lord)The Razr measures 3.47 by 2.91 by 0.62 inches when closed and 6.74 by 2.91 by 0.29 inches when fully open. It weighs 6.63 ounces, matching the size and weight of last year’s model almost exactly. The phone fits nicely in my hand in both its open and closed positions. It’s also incredibly pocket-friendly. I loved being able to slip it into my back pocket without worrying if the top of the phone was sticking out. (Credit: Sarah Lord)The power and volume buttons reside on the right side of the phone. The buttons feel solid and make an audible clicking sound when pressed. A fingerprint reader is embedded into the power button for biometric security. You can use facial recognition via the selfie camera. Both work well, though the fingerprint sensor is more secure. The SIM card slot is on the left side of the phone, while the USB-C port and speaker grille are located on the bottom edge. A little more than half of the rear panel is covered in the white speckled plastic of the Lightest Sky color. It does a good job of keeping fingerprints at bay, but is a little slippery to hold. The color extends about a centimeter above the hinge, before giving way to the external display, which is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus. The display remains dark when the phone is open, giving the back a black-and-white color scheme. Two round camera cutouts and a small flash protrude from the top of the phone when it’s opened. The display wraps around the cameras, which gives the handset an elegant appearance, especially when folded.(Credit: Sarah Lord)The titanium center hinge is strong, with minimal creasing visible on the display. You can still see it when the screen is dark, but it isn't disruptive. The hinge is smooth and rated for more than 200,000 opens and folds.(Credit: Sarah Lord)Motorola has made all of its flip phones more durable. Every phone in the 2025 lineup, including the entry-level Razr, has an IP48 rating, which means it is dust-resistant and can withstand temporary submersion in water. Display: Fun and BrightThe 2025 Razr's outer display remains unchanged from the 2024 version. It's a 3.6-inch pOLED screen with a resolution of 1,056 by 1,066 pixels for a pixel density of 413 pixels per inch (ppi). The refresh rate remains at 90Hz, with a touch response rate of 120Hz. The screen reaches a peak brightness of 1,700 nits. Meanwhile, the $999.99 Razr+ and Razr Ultra share a 4.0-inch outer display with a resolution of 1,272 by 1,080 pixels, for a density of 417ppi. The screen has a refresh rate of 165Hz with a touch response rate of 120Hz. The outer display on the Razr+ reaches a peak brightness of 2,400 nits, while the Ultra hits 3,000 nits. (Credit: Sarah Lord)The Razr's 6.9-inch inner display is similar to last year’s model. It has a resolution of 2,640 by 1,080 pixels for a density of 413ppi. The foldable AMOLED panel has a refresh rate of 120Hz and a touch response rate of 220Hz. It reaches a peak brightness of 3,000 nits. The company includes a built-in screen protector that the phone reminds you constantly not to remove. It's hardly visible, doesn’t bubble, and should hopefully remains in place for the lifetime of the phone. If it doesn’t, the company requires an authorized Motorola dealer to install a new one. A small, circular cutout at the top of the display signifies the selfie camera.The Razr+ has an almost identical display, with the same size, resolution, pixel density, and peak brightness levels. The only difference is that it has a slightly higher refresh rate of 165Hz. The Razr Ultra's screen is bigger, sharper, and brighter than any of the others at 7 inches, 2,992 by 1,224 pixels, 165Hz/300Hz refresh and touch response rates, and 4,500 nits of peak brightness. (Credit: Sarah Lord)I was easily able to view the Razr's display under direct sunlight. The outer display might be a smidge shorter than the Razr+ and Ultra, but it is just as useful. Performance: Passable for the PriceThe Razr is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7400x system on a chip, which uses a 4nm process and comes with a Mali-G615 GPU and a sixth-generation NPU. It is available in a single configuration with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. There's no microSD card slot, so if you need more storage space, you’ll have to step up to the much more expensive Razr Ultra, which is available in a 512GB model. The phone generally performs well with daily tasks, even when running multiple apps at the same time. Once in a while, I noticed short delays when switching between apps, but nothing that I considered egregious. The Razr isn’t the fastest phone on the market, but it’s completely usable. (Credit: Geekbench/GFXBench/PCMag)On Geekbench 6, which measures CPU performance, the Razr got a single-core score of 1,072 and a multi-core score of 3,035. These results show only slight improvement over last year’s model (1,054 and 3,010). In comparison, the Razr Ultra comes with the top-of-the-line Snapdragon 8 Elite processor (the same as in the Galaxy S25) and scored an impressive 2,913 and 8,727. Meanwhile, Samsung’s $1,099.99 Galaxy Z Flip 6, which uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, scored 2,133 and 6,134. To test GPU performance, I ran the Razr through the GFXBench suite of tests. It handled Aztec Ruins at 23fps, which is only marginally better than last year’s model (20fps), but slower than the Z Flip 6 (42fps) and the Razr Ultra (105fps). Despite its lack of power, the Razr still manages to do most of what you want it to. I was able to play graphically intensive games, such as Genshin Impact, albeit at lower frame rates. It played well and only stuttered during moments of intense combat. Less graphically demanding games, such as Alto’s Odyssey, played without a hitch. And, unlike the Razr Ultra, the Razr never became warm to the touch. Battery: Better Than Most Non-Flip PhonesBattery life is a selling point for the Razr. The phone has a 4,500mAh battery, an improvement over last year’s 4,200mAh battery. It lasted 21 hours and 35 minutes in testing, for which I streamed an HD video over Wi-Fi with the screen brightness turned all the way up. This is a noticeable improvement over the 2024 model, which ran for 16 hours and 5 minutes. The 2025 Razr easily outlasts the Z Flip 6, which stopped running after 16 hours and 20 minutes. The Razr+ has a smaller 4,000mAh battery, while the 4,7000mAh Razr Ultra lasted 22 hours and 33 minutes in the same test. (Credit: Sarah Lord)The Razr supports 30W wired charging, 15W wireless charging, and 5W reverse wireless charging for accessories. The Razr+ charges faster via wire (45W) but at the same rate on a wireless charging pad (15W). The Z Flip 6 supports 25W wired, 15W wireless, and 4.5W reverse wireless charging. Meanwhile, the Razr Ultra takes advantage of improved charging specs, with 68W wired, 30W wireless, and 5W reverse wireless charging. Recommended by Our EditorsUsing a 96W adapter, the Razr took 1 hour and 16 minutes to fully charge. The phone doesn’t come with a charger inside the box, so you’ll have to provide your own.Connectivity: A Fine 5G RadioAll of the phones in the Razr lineup come with sub-6GHz 5G (including C-band), though they miss out on the faster mmWave 5G that’s available in some areas. If you want a flip phone with mmWave, you’ll have to grab the Galaxy Z Flip 6. Motorola sells the Razr unlocked, and it should work with all major US carriers.I tested the phone on T-Mobile’s network, where it recorded download speeds of 116Mbps and upload speeds of 4.20Mbps. My iPhone 14 Pro recorded download speeds of 99.2Mbps and upload speeds of 25.1Mbps from the same location.(Credit: Sarah Lord)The Razr is equipped with Wi-Fi 6E. When tested close to my Wi-Fi 6 access point, it recorded speeds of 354Mbps down and 18.9Mbps up. The iPhone 14 Pro got similar results, with 369Mbps down and 22.5Mbps up. The Razr's speeds dipped at the edge of the network to 54.1Mbps down and 22.1Mbps up. The iPhone 14 Pro did worse in this location, with download speeds of 26.1Mbps and upload speeds of 15.4Mbps.NFC is available for mobile payments, and Bluetooth is on board for connecting your wireless devices, though Motorola doesn’t specify which version of Bluetooth the phone uses. Audio: Loud EnoughCall quality is good. Callers could hear me well, and I could hear them. The earpiece is loud, at 80.3dB. The speaker is even louder with a max output of 83.5dB. When listening to our test track, The Knife's “Silent Shout," I could feel the bass vibrate the phone. That said, the beats were muddy and not well defined. The volume gets loud enough to listen to music in a small room, but you’ll want to connect speakers or headphones to get the best experience. Cameras: Fun to Use, But Low QualityThe Razr’s main camera has a 50MP sensor with an f/1.7 aperture. It features Pantone color, optical image stabilization (OIS), and phase-detection auto focus. The phone has a 13MP ultra-wide camera with an f/2.2 aperture that can capture macro images. These are joined by a 32MP f/2.4 selfie camera. The main and selfie cameras automatically bin the photos by a factor of four, so images come out at 12.5MP and 8MP, respectively. You can take full-resolution shots by using the camera’s Ultra-Res mode. The photos I took with the Razr are uninspiring and peppered with unnaturally bright spots. Blues are brighter and greens are greener than they appear in real life.Main camera(Credit: Sarah Lord)The leaves at the bottom of the picture above are much brighter than they should be. Further, it's difficult to distinguish individual branches of this tree, even when zoomed in.The camera has three zoom levels. It accomplishes 2x zoom with digital cropping. Here’s a progression:Ultra-wide camera, 0.5x zoom(Credit: Sarah Lord)Main camera, 1x zoom(Credit: Sarah Lord)Main camera, 2x zoom(Credit: Sarah Lord)The grass is almost neon green, and the dandelions are a particularly bright shade of yellow. Ultra-wide camera, macro(Credit: Sarah Lord)Shots taken with the macro mode are filled with noise, especially around the edges of these flowers. Selfie camera(Credit: Sarah Lord)The selfie camera works as expected but isn't particularly impressive.Video capture maxes out at 4K30. The phone is capable of filming with 4x slow motion. Videos appear similar to the photos, with the best footage coming from the main camera. When it comes to flip phones, the Galaxy Z Flip 6, Razr+, and Razr Ultra all have better-performing cameras. Even for similarly priced slab phones, the Galaxy S25 and the Pixel 9a are much more impressive than the Razr.The Razr comes with some of Google’s AI editing capabilities, including Magic Editor, which allows you to circle, brush, or tap an object in your photo to resize it or remove it. You also have access to Google Blur, which blurs the background of a photo, and Google Unblur, which can sharpen a blurry photo. Magic Eraser lets you get rid of unwanted elements in your snaps. Software: More Support, PleaseThe Razr runs on Android 15 and will only get three years of OS updates and four years of security updates. This is the same promise as last year’s products and remains far behind the seven years of OS and security updates found on offerings from Google and Samsung. (Credit: Sarah Lord)Just like the Razr Ultra, you can access just about every app directly from the phone's outer display. By default, it features the time, date, battery life, weather, and notifications. A row of apps includes the camera, messages, photos, and Google Gemini. Swiping down from the top brings you all the Quick Settings menu, while swiping left shows you all the apps available on the external display. You can add as many apps and shortcuts as you want by pressing the pencil button in the upper right corner. Swiping left again brings you to your calendar, followed by the weather, and a communications section that houses the dial pad, contacts, and messages apps. Finally, there are a handful of casual games that you can play directly on the outer display. You don’t have to stick to casual games; I played a session of Genshin Impact directly from the external display. (Credit: Sarah Lord)The Razr comes with Motorola’s AI offerings, though without the dedicated AI button on the Ultra. The Moto AI shortcut sits prominently on the home screen. Opening it gives you access to the Image Studio, where you can use AI to create images, or the Playlist Studio to make a playlist based on your mood. You can also launch Pay Attention, which will record your meetings and provide you with a transcript, or Remember This, which turns images and text into memories that the AI can use to give you a more personalized experience. You can use Catch Me Up to view a summary of all of your texts and notifications, or just ask Moto AI to perform a Google search for you. The AI tools work as expected, but I don’t find them particularly useful. They take care of tasks that I generally don’t need help with, as I’m not overwhelmed by notifications or stuck in an endless number of meetings where I'm expected to take notes. You may find them more useful.
    0 Σχόλια 0 Μοιράστηκε
  • High-End Headphone Throwdown! Sony WH-1000XM6 vs. Bose QuietComfort Ultra vs. Apple AirPods Max

    Sony WH-1000XM64.5 ExcellentBottom LineSony's high-end WH-1000XM6 headphones feature foldable earcups, new driver tuning, and noise cancellation that rivals the best from Bose.US Street PriceLearn MoreSony WH-1000XM6 ReviewVSBose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones4.5 ExcellentBottom LineThe Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones pump out robust sound and offer the best noise cancellation of any over-ear models we've tested.Street Price1699.0Learn MoreBose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones Review

    Table of ContentsPriceDesignComfortCases and CablesBluetooth and ConnectivityBattery LifeMobile AppNoise CancellationTransparency ModeSound QualityMic Quality

    PriceIf you want the best over-ear noise-cancelling headphones available, be prepared to pay up. None of these models comes cheaply. It's not entirely surprising that Apple has the priciest pair of the bunch at —the AirPods Max are also the oldest. The brand-new Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones cost a cool Bose now has the "cheapest" pair of the bunch with its two-year-old QuietComfort Ultra ringing in at Winner: Bose QuietComfort UltraDesignAll three headphones have their own look and defining features. Sony's resembles the previous model, with a matte plastic look and a lightweight build. They come in three colors, and the earcups can fold flat for portability. The Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones, meanwhile, are mostly plastic, even more compact when folded, and come in four colors.Left to right: AirPods Max, Sony WH-1000XM6, Bose QuietComfort UltraAesthetically, the AirPods Max stand out thanks to their metal build and clean lines. They have removable earcups and come in the most color options, including Blue, Midnight, Orange, Purple, and Starlight. Their use of metal makes them heavier, but ensures they look the most luxurious. They also have a fantastic rotating digital crown for adjusting the volume and controlling other features.Winner: AirPods MaxComfortBose QuietComfort UltraThe metal build of the AirPods Max makes them the heaviest of the three, but doesn't impact their comfort as much as you might expect. They're good at distributing weight across the top of your head, and their plush earcups don't clamp down too tightly. Nonetheless, both the Sony WH-1000XM6 and Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphonesare more comfortable. Of the three, the lower clamp force and thicker padding of the Bose headphones make them the most comfortable for extended listening.Winner: Bose QuietComfort UltraCases and CablesWhile the AirPods Max may look the most high-end, the same can't be said of their meme-worthy rubber case, which is more of a barely there cover-up than a case. They only come with a USB-C cable, though you can use it for lossless USB audio. To connect them to a 3.5mm source, you’ll need to buy Apple’s USB-C to 3.5mm adapter separately.Left to right: AirPods Max, Sony WH-1000XM6, Bose QuietComfort UltraBoth the Bose QuietComfort Ultra and Sony WH-1000XM6 come with a clamshell hard case and the cables you need for both charging and wired listening. They each include a USB-A-to-USB-C charging cable, while the Bose headphones have a 2.5mm-to-3.5mm cable for their smaller input port, and the Sony headphones have a standard 3.5mm cable. Sony's carrying case has a magnetic clasp instead of a zipper, but I prefer the smaller leather case that comes with the Bose QuietComfort Ultra.Winner: Bose QuietComfort UltraBluetooth and ConnectivityAll three headphones support the standard SBC Bluetooth codec, and they all have AAC on top of that. That’s where Bluetooth codecs end on the AirPods Max, though. The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones add support for AptX Adaptive, which works with compatible Snapdragon-powered phones. As has been the case with Sony's high-end headphones for years, the WH-1000XM6 also support LDAC, which works with most modern Android phones, and LC3, which is becoming more common on Android devices.AirPods MaxBoth the Bose and Sony headphones have Bluetooth multipoint for connecting to two devices simultaneously. If connecting to multiple Apple devices is your goal, the AirPods Max enjoy a significant ecosystem benefit—they can switch seamlessly between any Apple devicesigned into the same iCloud account. Sony gets the win here for codec support, while Apple gets the win for versatile ecosystem connectivity.Winner: TieBattery LifeNone of these headphones stand out when it comes to battery life. The AirPods Max have a rated battery life of 20 hours with noise cancellation on, but you might find that you get less actual listening time if you don't put them in their case every time you take them off. The Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones step that up to 24 hours, while the Sony offers 30 hours of listening and the fastest charging. While the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones can get three hours of listening from 15 minutes of charging, the Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones can get three hours of listening from just three minutes of charging. Winner: Sony WH-1000XM6Mobile AppThe mobile experience associated with these three headphones is starkly different. On the surface, the AirPods Max appear to be the most bare-bones. Rather than rely on a separate app, their settings are integrated deeply in your iPhone's operating system. To access them, you have to wade through the Bluetooth settings menu where you can tweak things like noise modes and automatic head detection, but there's no EQ. You can also tweak some settings through Control Center, including spatial audio settings. Recommended by Our EditorsSony WH-1000XM6The Bose app is minimalist and easy to navigate. The main screen grants you access to noise modes, Bluetooth settings, button shortcuts, and a rudimentary EQ. It lets you tweak what it labels as bass, mid, and treble, but doesn't specify which frequencies each slider affects.Sony's Sound Connect app offers far more control than Bose. You can set up your noise modes, button shortcuts, and location-based noise settings. You also have access to a comprehensive 10-band EQ, with bands ranging from 31Hz to 16kHz. Apple beats the others on depth, but Sony keeps everything in one spot and has the best EQ.Winner: TieNoise CancellationUntil the Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones arrived, Bose was the clear winner when it came to noise cancellation. The QuietComfort Headphones silence most environmental sounds. The AirPods Max offer respectable ANC, but it can't compete with Bose or Sony offerings, both of which excel at dampening ambient noise, whether you're on a plane or in a busy coffee shop.Bose QuietComfort UltraSony has a slight edge when it comes to complicated settings like a city bus or a busy cafe, spaces that have uneven bursts of sound that Bose isn't quick enough to cut. Bose still delivers excellent ANC, but it's no longer head and shoulders above the competition, and Sony takes the win in this category.Winner: Sony WH-1000XM6Transparency ModeAirPods MaxWhile the AirPods Max trail behind the other two in ANC, they're a clear winner when it comes to transparency mode, which lets you hear your surroundings. They deliver natural and consistent audio and don't introduce the hiss that Bose and Sony do. Winner: AirPods MaxSound QualityAll three of these headphones offer outstanding sound quality. The 40mm drivers in the AirPods Max deliver deep bass and the best high-end response of the three, but the lack of a user-adjustable EQ is frustrating.The Bose headphones also offer excellent bass response with clear highs, but those highs aren't quite as crisp as they are on the AirPods Max. The audio also doesn't really feel as spacious as the AirPods Max, which have a wider soundstage and can sometimes come across as overly processed. Lastly, the Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones have a slightly sculpted sound, removing some of the mids that Bose keeps. If you want to change the sound signature, Sony offers the best EQ to do so.Sony WH-1000XM6If spatial audio is important to you, then the AirPods Max are the best of the bunch, as long as you use them with Apple devices. The AirPods Max can actually process surround sound input, instead of artificially adding the effect to stereo sources.So while the AirPods Max have the best audio out of the box, the Sony offers much deeper customization, supports higher-quality sources, and works with more devices, making it a tie.Winner: TieMic QualityThe microphones across all three headphones are perfectly sufficient for voice calls. Bose offers a little more body than Apple or Sony, but not as much clarity and detail. The AirPods Max microphone is crisp and detailed, but of the three, Sony's headphones deliver the best experience thanks to their half-dozen microphones and improved beamforming technology.Winner: Sony WH-1000XM6
    #highend #headphone #throwdown #sony #wh1000xm6
    High-End Headphone Throwdown! Sony WH-1000XM6 vs. Bose QuietComfort Ultra vs. Apple AirPods Max
    Sony WH-1000XM64.5 ExcellentBottom LineSony's high-end WH-1000XM6 headphones feature foldable earcups, new driver tuning, and noise cancellation that rivals the best from Bose.US Street PriceLearn MoreSony WH-1000XM6 ReviewVSBose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones4.5 ExcellentBottom LineThe Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones pump out robust sound and offer the best noise cancellation of any over-ear models we've tested.Street Price1699.0Learn MoreBose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones Review Table of ContentsPriceDesignComfortCases and CablesBluetooth and ConnectivityBattery LifeMobile AppNoise CancellationTransparency ModeSound QualityMic Quality PriceIf you want the best over-ear noise-cancelling headphones available, be prepared to pay up. None of these models comes cheaply. It's not entirely surprising that Apple has the priciest pair of the bunch at —the AirPods Max are also the oldest. The brand-new Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones cost a cool Bose now has the "cheapest" pair of the bunch with its two-year-old QuietComfort Ultra ringing in at Winner: Bose QuietComfort UltraDesignAll three headphones have their own look and defining features. Sony's resembles the previous model, with a matte plastic look and a lightweight build. They come in three colors, and the earcups can fold flat for portability. The Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones, meanwhile, are mostly plastic, even more compact when folded, and come in four colors.Left to right: AirPods Max, Sony WH-1000XM6, Bose QuietComfort UltraAesthetically, the AirPods Max stand out thanks to their metal build and clean lines. They have removable earcups and come in the most color options, including Blue, Midnight, Orange, Purple, and Starlight. Their use of metal makes them heavier, but ensures they look the most luxurious. They also have a fantastic rotating digital crown for adjusting the volume and controlling other features.Winner: AirPods MaxComfortBose QuietComfort UltraThe metal build of the AirPods Max makes them the heaviest of the three, but doesn't impact their comfort as much as you might expect. They're good at distributing weight across the top of your head, and their plush earcups don't clamp down too tightly. Nonetheless, both the Sony WH-1000XM6 and Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphonesare more comfortable. Of the three, the lower clamp force and thicker padding of the Bose headphones make them the most comfortable for extended listening.Winner: Bose QuietComfort UltraCases and CablesWhile the AirPods Max may look the most high-end, the same can't be said of their meme-worthy rubber case, which is more of a barely there cover-up than a case. They only come with a USB-C cable, though you can use it for lossless USB audio. To connect them to a 3.5mm source, you’ll need to buy Apple’s USB-C to 3.5mm adapter separately.Left to right: AirPods Max, Sony WH-1000XM6, Bose QuietComfort UltraBoth the Bose QuietComfort Ultra and Sony WH-1000XM6 come with a clamshell hard case and the cables you need for both charging and wired listening. They each include a USB-A-to-USB-C charging cable, while the Bose headphones have a 2.5mm-to-3.5mm cable for their smaller input port, and the Sony headphones have a standard 3.5mm cable. Sony's carrying case has a magnetic clasp instead of a zipper, but I prefer the smaller leather case that comes with the Bose QuietComfort Ultra.Winner: Bose QuietComfort UltraBluetooth and ConnectivityAll three headphones support the standard SBC Bluetooth codec, and they all have AAC on top of that. That’s where Bluetooth codecs end on the AirPods Max, though. The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones add support for AptX Adaptive, which works with compatible Snapdragon-powered phones. As has been the case with Sony's high-end headphones for years, the WH-1000XM6 also support LDAC, which works with most modern Android phones, and LC3, which is becoming more common on Android devices.AirPods MaxBoth the Bose and Sony headphones have Bluetooth multipoint for connecting to two devices simultaneously. If connecting to multiple Apple devices is your goal, the AirPods Max enjoy a significant ecosystem benefit—they can switch seamlessly between any Apple devicesigned into the same iCloud account. Sony gets the win here for codec support, while Apple gets the win for versatile ecosystem connectivity.Winner: TieBattery LifeNone of these headphones stand out when it comes to battery life. The AirPods Max have a rated battery life of 20 hours with noise cancellation on, but you might find that you get less actual listening time if you don't put them in their case every time you take them off. The Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones step that up to 24 hours, while the Sony offers 30 hours of listening and the fastest charging. While the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones can get three hours of listening from 15 minutes of charging, the Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones can get three hours of listening from just three minutes of charging. Winner: Sony WH-1000XM6Mobile AppThe mobile experience associated with these three headphones is starkly different. On the surface, the AirPods Max appear to be the most bare-bones. Rather than rely on a separate app, their settings are integrated deeply in your iPhone's operating system. To access them, you have to wade through the Bluetooth settings menu where you can tweak things like noise modes and automatic head detection, but there's no EQ. You can also tweak some settings through Control Center, including spatial audio settings. Recommended by Our EditorsSony WH-1000XM6The Bose app is minimalist and easy to navigate. The main screen grants you access to noise modes, Bluetooth settings, button shortcuts, and a rudimentary EQ. It lets you tweak what it labels as bass, mid, and treble, but doesn't specify which frequencies each slider affects.Sony's Sound Connect app offers far more control than Bose. You can set up your noise modes, button shortcuts, and location-based noise settings. You also have access to a comprehensive 10-band EQ, with bands ranging from 31Hz to 16kHz. Apple beats the others on depth, but Sony keeps everything in one spot and has the best EQ.Winner: TieNoise CancellationUntil the Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones arrived, Bose was the clear winner when it came to noise cancellation. The QuietComfort Headphones silence most environmental sounds. The AirPods Max offer respectable ANC, but it can't compete with Bose or Sony offerings, both of which excel at dampening ambient noise, whether you're on a plane or in a busy coffee shop.Bose QuietComfort UltraSony has a slight edge when it comes to complicated settings like a city bus or a busy cafe, spaces that have uneven bursts of sound that Bose isn't quick enough to cut. Bose still delivers excellent ANC, but it's no longer head and shoulders above the competition, and Sony takes the win in this category.Winner: Sony WH-1000XM6Transparency ModeAirPods MaxWhile the AirPods Max trail behind the other two in ANC, they're a clear winner when it comes to transparency mode, which lets you hear your surroundings. They deliver natural and consistent audio and don't introduce the hiss that Bose and Sony do. Winner: AirPods MaxSound QualityAll three of these headphones offer outstanding sound quality. The 40mm drivers in the AirPods Max deliver deep bass and the best high-end response of the three, but the lack of a user-adjustable EQ is frustrating.The Bose headphones also offer excellent bass response with clear highs, but those highs aren't quite as crisp as they are on the AirPods Max. The audio also doesn't really feel as spacious as the AirPods Max, which have a wider soundstage and can sometimes come across as overly processed. Lastly, the Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones have a slightly sculpted sound, removing some of the mids that Bose keeps. If you want to change the sound signature, Sony offers the best EQ to do so.Sony WH-1000XM6If spatial audio is important to you, then the AirPods Max are the best of the bunch, as long as you use them with Apple devices. The AirPods Max can actually process surround sound input, instead of artificially adding the effect to stereo sources.So while the AirPods Max have the best audio out of the box, the Sony offers much deeper customization, supports higher-quality sources, and works with more devices, making it a tie.Winner: TieMic QualityThe microphones across all three headphones are perfectly sufficient for voice calls. Bose offers a little more body than Apple or Sony, but not as much clarity and detail. The AirPods Max microphone is crisp and detailed, but of the three, Sony's headphones deliver the best experience thanks to their half-dozen microphones and improved beamforming technology.Winner: Sony WH-1000XM6 #highend #headphone #throwdown #sony #wh1000xm6
    ME.PCMAG.COM
    High-End Headphone Throwdown! Sony WH-1000XM6 vs. Bose QuietComfort Ultra vs. Apple AirPods Max
    Sony WH-1000XM64.5 ExcellentBottom LineSony's high-end WH-1000XM6 headphones feature foldable earcups, new driver tuning, and noise cancellation that rivals the best from Bose.US Street Price$449.99Learn MoreSony WH-1000XM6 ReviewVSBose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones4.5 ExcellentBottom LineThe Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones pump out robust sound and offer the best noise cancellation of any over-ear models we've tested.Street Price1699.0Learn MoreBose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones Review Table of ContentsPriceDesignComfortCases and CablesBluetooth and ConnectivityBattery LifeMobile AppNoise CancellationTransparency ModeSound QualityMic Quality PriceIf you want the best over-ear noise-cancelling headphones available, be prepared to pay up. None of these models comes cheaply. It's not entirely surprising that Apple has the priciest pair of the bunch at $549—the AirPods Max are also the oldest. The brand-new Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones cost a cool $449. Bose now has the "cheapest" pair of the bunch with its two-year-old QuietComfort Ultra ringing in at $429.99. Winner: Bose QuietComfort UltraDesignAll three headphones have their own look and defining features. Sony's resembles the previous model, with a matte plastic look and a lightweight build. They come in three colors (Black, Midnight Blue, or Silver), and the earcups can fold flat for portability. The Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones, meanwhile, are mostly plastic, even more compact when folded, and come in four colors (Black, Lunar Blue, Plum, or White Smoke).Left to right: AirPods Max, Sony WH-1000XM6, Bose QuietComfort Ultra(Credit: Christian de Looper)Aesthetically, the AirPods Max stand out thanks to their metal build and clean lines. They have removable earcups and come in the most color options, including Blue, Midnight, Orange, Purple, and Starlight. Their use of metal makes them heavier, but ensures they look the most luxurious. They also have a fantastic rotating digital crown for adjusting the volume and controlling other features.Winner: AirPods MaxComfortBose QuietComfort Ultra(Credit: Christian de Looper)The metal build of the AirPods Max makes them the heaviest of the three (13.6 ounces), but doesn't impact their comfort as much as you might expect. They're good at distributing weight across the top of your head, and their plush earcups don't clamp down too tightly. Nonetheless, both the Sony WH-1000XM6 and Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (8.8 ounces each) are more comfortable. Of the three, the lower clamp force and thicker padding of the Bose headphones make them the most comfortable for extended listening.Winner: Bose QuietComfort UltraCases and CablesWhile the AirPods Max may look the most high-end, the same can't be said of their meme-worthy rubber case, which is more of a barely there cover-up than a case. They only come with a USB-C cable, though you can use it for lossless USB audio. To connect them to a 3.5mm source, you’ll need to buy Apple’s USB-C to 3.5mm adapter separately.Left to right: AirPods Max, Sony WH-1000XM6, Bose QuietComfort Ultra(Credit: Christian de Looper)Both the Bose QuietComfort Ultra and Sony WH-1000XM6 come with a clamshell hard case and the cables you need for both charging and wired listening. They each include a USB-A-to-USB-C charging cable, while the Bose headphones have a 2.5mm-to-3.5mm cable for their smaller input port, and the Sony headphones have a standard 3.5mm cable. Sony's carrying case has a magnetic clasp instead of a zipper, but I prefer the smaller leather case that comes with the Bose QuietComfort Ultra.Winner: Bose QuietComfort UltraBluetooth and ConnectivityAll three headphones support the standard SBC Bluetooth codec, and they all have AAC on top of that. That’s where Bluetooth codecs end on the AirPods Max, though. The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones add support for AptX Adaptive, which works with compatible Snapdragon-powered phones. As has been the case with Sony's high-end headphones for years, the WH-1000XM6 also support LDAC, which works with most modern Android phones, and LC3, which is becoming more common on Android devices.AirPods Max(Credit: Christian de Looper)Both the Bose and Sony headphones have Bluetooth multipoint for connecting to two devices simultaneously. If connecting to multiple Apple devices is your goal, the AirPods Max enjoy a significant ecosystem benefit—they can switch seamlessly between any Apple device (Apple TV, iPad, iPhone, Mac) signed into the same iCloud account. Sony gets the win here for codec support (LDAC works with more phones than AptX Adaptive and LC3 is a nice addition), while Apple gets the win for versatile ecosystem connectivity (as long as you use Apple devices).Winner: Tie (AirPods Max and Sony WH-1000XM6)Battery LifeNone of these headphones stand out when it comes to battery life. The AirPods Max have a rated battery life of 20 hours with noise cancellation on, but you might find that you get less actual listening time if you don't put them in their case every time you take them off (they enter standby mode rather than turn off completely). The Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones step that up to 24 hours, while the Sony offers 30 hours of listening and the fastest charging. While the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones can get three hours of listening from 15 minutes of charging, the Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones can get three hours of listening from just three minutes of charging. Winner: Sony WH-1000XM6Mobile AppThe mobile experience associated with these three headphones is starkly different. On the surface, the AirPods Max appear to be the most bare-bones. Rather than rely on a separate app, their settings are integrated deeply in your iPhone's operating system. To access them, you have to wade through the Bluetooth settings menu where you can tweak things like noise modes and automatic head detection, but there's no EQ. You can also tweak some settings through Control Center, including spatial audio settings. Recommended by Our EditorsSony WH-1000XM6(Credit: Christian de Looper)The Bose app is minimalist and easy to navigate. The main screen grants you access to noise modes, Bluetooth settings, button shortcuts, and a rudimentary EQ. It lets you tweak what it labels as bass, mid, and treble, but doesn't specify which frequencies each slider affects.Sony's Sound Connect app offers far more control than Bose. You can set up your noise modes, button shortcuts, and location-based noise settings. You also have access to a comprehensive 10-band EQ, with bands ranging from 31Hz to 16kHz. Apple beats the others on depth, but Sony keeps everything in one spot and has the best EQ.Winner: Tie (AirPods Max and Sony WH-1000XM6)Noise CancellationUntil the Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones arrived, Bose was the clear winner when it came to noise cancellation. The QuietComfort Headphones silence most environmental sounds. The AirPods Max offer respectable ANC, but it can't compete with Bose or Sony offerings, both of which excel at dampening ambient noise, whether you're on a plane or in a busy coffee shop.Bose QuietComfort Ultra(Credit: Christian de Looper)Sony has a slight edge when it comes to complicated settings like a city bus or a busy cafe, spaces that have uneven bursts of sound that Bose isn't quick enough to cut. Bose still delivers excellent ANC, but it's no longer head and shoulders above the competition, and Sony takes the win in this category.Winner: Sony WH-1000XM6Transparency ModeAirPods Max(Credit: Christian de Looper)While the AirPods Max trail behind the other two in ANC, they're a clear winner when it comes to transparency mode, which lets you hear your surroundings. They deliver natural and consistent audio and don't introduce the hiss that Bose and Sony do. Winner: AirPods MaxSound QualityAll three of these headphones offer outstanding sound quality. The 40mm drivers in the AirPods Max deliver deep bass and the best high-end response of the three, but the lack of a user-adjustable EQ is frustrating.The Bose headphones also offer excellent bass response with clear highs, but those highs aren't quite as crisp as they are on the AirPods Max. The audio also doesn't really feel as spacious as the AirPods Max, which have a wider soundstage and can sometimes come across as overly processed. Lastly, the Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones have a slightly sculpted sound, removing some of the mids that Bose keeps. If you want to change the sound signature, Sony offers the best EQ to do so.Sony WH-1000XM6(Credit: Christian de Looper)If spatial audio is important to you, then the AirPods Max are the best of the bunch, as long as you use them with Apple devices. The AirPods Max can actually process surround sound input, instead of artificially adding the effect to stereo sources (assuming the content offers it, of course).So while the AirPods Max have the best audio out of the box, the Sony offers much deeper customization, supports higher-quality sources, and works with more devices, making it a tie.Winner: Tie (AirPods Max and Sony WH-1000XM6)Mic QualityThe microphones across all three headphones are perfectly sufficient for voice calls. Bose offers a little more body than Apple or Sony, but not as much clarity and detail. The AirPods Max microphone is crisp and detailed, but of the three, Sony's headphones deliver the best experience thanks to their half-dozen microphones and improved beamforming technology.Winner: Sony WH-1000XM6
    0 Σχόλια 0 Μοιράστηκε
  • #333;">Casa De Blas by Alberto Campo Baeza

    Casa De Blas | © Hisao Suzuki
    Set on a hillside in Sevilla la Nueva, a town southwest of Madrid, Casa De Blas is a distilled expression of the architectural dialectic between weight and lightness, earth and sky.
    Designed in 2000 by Spanish architect Alberto Campo Baeza, the house is both an act of landscape intervention and a metaphysical construct, a spatial meditation on essential form and material logic.
    Casa De Blas Technical Information
    Architects1-3: Alberto Campo Baeza
    Location: Sevilla la Nueva, Madrid, Spain
    Area: 250 m2 | 2,690 Sq.
    Ft.
    Project Year: 2000
    Photographs: © Hisao Suzuki
    This house aims to be a literal translation of the idea of the tectonic box upon the stereotomic box.
    Like a distillation of the most essential in architecture.
    Once again, more with less.
    – Alberto Campo Baeza
    Casa De Blas Photographs
    © Hisao Suzuki
    © Hisao Suzuki
    © Hisao Suzuki
    © Hisao Suzuki
    © Hisao Suzuki
    © Hisao Suzuki
    The Architecture of Duality: Ground and Sky
    Campo Baeza’s work consistently revolves around a search for architectural clarity.
    In Casa De Blas, this clarity manifests as two boxes: a grounded concrete volume that holds the domestic program and a glass pavilion above that elevates the act of looking.
    The house is not merely built on the landscape; it is in dialogue with it.
    The conceptual strategy of Casa De Blas is rooted in a tectonic-syntactic opposition between the stereotomic base and the tectonic roof.
    The lower portion consists of a robust concrete platform embedded in the earth like a carved podium.
    This base supports a lighter glass structure above, where steel elements define the enclosure with minimal mass.
    The house engages the site with careful restraint.
    Rather than dominate the hilltop, it accepts the slope and turns its attention to the northern view of the Sierra de Guadarrama.
    This orientation informs light and shadow’s spatial organization and phenomenological qualities.
    Inside the concrete base, the architecture follows a precise logic.
    A service band is located toward the rear, while primary living spaces occupy the front, facing the landscape.
    Square window openings, deeply set into the thick walls, frame views with the intentionality of a camera obscura.
    These apertures do not merely let in light; they shape perception, creating a sense of distance and inwardness.
    The Pavilion as Apparatus for Contemplation
    Above this grounded core, the transparent upper volume serves as a lookout.
    Reached from the interior by ascending stairs, the glass box sits lightly on the podium, offering a counterpoint to the cave-like enclosure below.
    There is no visible carpentry, just frameless glazing and a white steel canopy, which shades the upper level while preserving its airy, open quality.
    The north-facing glass stretches toward the edge, embracing the panoramic view.
    On the southern side, the volume recedes to create a shaded void, regulating solar gain.
    This sectional asymmetry allows the architecture to perform environmentally without compromising its compositional purity.
    Campo Baeza describes the house as a literal translation of the idea of a tectonic box upon a stereotomic box.
    The reference is not metaphorical but structural and spatial.
    The upper pavilion is not a symbol of transparency but a mechanism for perception.
    In this way, the house operates as a philosophical instrument as much as a dwelling.
    Casa De Blas Proportion and Compositional Rigour
    The power of the project lies in the spatial sequence from the heavy to the light, from the shaded to the luminous.
    The contrast between these two atmospheres creates a duality of experience: shelter and openness, introspection and projection.
    The structural order contributes to this sense of serenity.
    Steel supports are arranged in double symmetry, reinforcing the composition’s static quality.
    Nothing feels arbitrary.
    Every gesture is reduced to its essential nature.
    The palette is limited to concrete, glass, and steel, yet the result is rich in meaning.
    The interior is equally restrained, avoiding superfluous detailing.
    It is architecture as a frame, a backdrop for landscape and thought.
    Campo Baeza’s work here touches the territory of the poetic, not through expressionism but through control and abstraction.
    Casa De Blas Plans
    Concept | © Alberto Campo Baeza
    North Elevation | © Alberto Campo Baeza
    East Elevation | © Alberto Campo Baeza
    Upper Level | © Alberto Campo Baeza
    Floor Plan | © Alberto Campo Baeza
    Section | © Alberto Campo Baeza
    Casa De Blas Image Gallery
    About Alberto Campo Baeza
    Alberto Campo Baeza is a Spanish architect born in 1946 in Valladolid.
    Renowned for his minimalist and essentialist approach, he emphasizes the interplay of light, gravity, and proportion in his designs.
    His notable works include the Casa Turégano, Casa de Blas, and the Caja de Granada headquarters.
    Campo Baeza was a full-time design professor at the Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura de Madrid (ETSAM) from 1986 until his retirement in 2017.
    He has received numerous accolades throughout his career, such as the RIBA International Fellowship and the Heinrich Tessenow Gold Medal, recognizing his contributions to contemporary architecture.
    Credits and Additional Notes
    Design Team: Alberto Campo Baeza, Alfonso González Gamo
    Structural Engineer: Julio Martínez Calzón, MC-2
    Collaborators: Teresa Campos
    #666;">المصدر: https://archeyes.com/casa-de-blas-by-alberto-campo-baeza/" style="color: #0066cc; text-decoration: none;">archeyes.com
    #0066cc;">#casa #blas #alberto #campo #baeza #hisao #suzukiset #hillside #sevilla #nueva #town #southwest #madrid #distilled #expression #the #architectural #dialectic #between #weight #and #lightness #earth #skydesigned #spanish #architect #house #both #act #landscape #intervention #metaphysical #construct #spatial #meditation #essential #form #material #logiccasa #technical #informationarchitects13 #baezalocation #spainarea #250m2 #2690sqftproject #year #2000photographs #suzukithis #aims #literal #translation #idea #tectonic #box #upon #stereotomic #boxlike #distillation #most #architectureonce #again #more #with #less #baezacasa #photographs #suzuki #suzukithe #architecture #duality #ground #skycampo #baezas #work #consistently #revolves #around #search #for #clarityin #this #clarity #manifests #two #boxes #grounded #concrete #volume #that #holds #domestic #program #glass #pavilion #above #elevates #lookingthe #not #merely #built #dialogue #itthe #conceptual #strategy #rooted #tectonicsyntactic #opposition #base #roofthe #lower #portion #consists #robust #platform #embedded #like #carved #podiumthis #supports #lighter #structure #where #steel #elements #define #enclosure #minimal #massthe #engages #site #careful #restraintrather #than #dominate #hilltop #accepts #slope #turns #its #attention #northern #view #sierra #guadarramathis #orientation #informs #light #shadows #organization #phenomenological #qualitiesinside #follows #precise #logica #service #band #located #toward #rear #while #primary #living #spaces #occupy #front #facing #landscapesquare #window #openings #deeply #set #into #thick #walls #frame #views #intentionality #camera #obscurathese #apertures #let #they #shape #perception #creating #sense #distance #inwardnessthe #apparatus #contemplationabove #core #transparent #upper #serves #lookoutreached #from #interior #ascending #stairs #sits #lightly #podium #offering #counterpoint #cavelike #belowthere #visible #carpentry #just #frameless #glazing #white #canopy #which #shades #level #preserving #airy #open #qualitythe #northfacing #stretches #edge #embracing #panoramic #viewon #southern #side #recedes #create #shaded #void #regulating #solar #gainthis #sectional #asymmetry #allows #perform #environmentally #without #compromising #compositional #puritycampo #describes #boxthe #reference #metaphorical #but #structural #spatialthe #symbol #transparency #mechanism #perceptionin #way #operates #philosophical #instrument #much #dwellingcasa #proportion #rigourthe #power #project #lies #sequence #heavy #luminousthe #contrast #these #atmospheres #creates #experience #shelter #openness #introspection #projectionthe #order #contributes #serenitysteel #are #arranged #double #symmetry #reinforcing #compositions #static #qualitynothing #feels #arbitraryevery #gesture #reduced #naturethe #palette #limited #yet #result #rich #meaningthe #equally #restrained #avoiding #superfluous #detailingit #backdrop #thoughtcampo #here #touches #territory #poetic #through #expressionism #control #abstractioncasa #plansconcept #baezanorth #elevation #baezaeast #baezaupper #baezafloor #plan #baezasection #image #galleryabout #baezaalberto #born #valladolidrenowned #his #minimalist #essentialist #approach #emphasizes #interplay #gravity #designshis #notable #works #include #turégano #caja #granada #headquarterscampo #was #fulltime #design #professor #escuela #técnica #superior #arquitectura #etsam #until #retirement #2017he #has #received #numerous #accolades #throughout #career #such #riba #international #fellowship #heinrich #tessenow #gold #medal #recognizing #contributions #contemporary #architecturecredits #additional #notesdesign #team #alfonso #gonzález #gamostructural #engineer #julio #martínez #calzón #mc2collaborators #teresa #campos
    Casa De Blas by Alberto Campo Baeza
    Casa De Blas | © Hisao Suzuki Set on a hillside in Sevilla la Nueva, a town southwest of Madrid, Casa De Blas is a distilled expression of the architectural dialectic between weight and lightness, earth and sky. Designed in 2000 by Spanish architect Alberto Campo Baeza, the house is both an act of landscape intervention and a metaphysical construct, a spatial meditation on essential form and material logic. Casa De Blas Technical Information Architects1-3: Alberto Campo Baeza Location: Sevilla la Nueva, Madrid, Spain Area: 250 m2 | 2,690 Sq. Ft. Project Year: 2000 Photographs: © Hisao Suzuki This house aims to be a literal translation of the idea of the tectonic box upon the stereotomic box. Like a distillation of the most essential in architecture. Once again, more with less. – Alberto Campo Baeza Casa De Blas Photographs © Hisao Suzuki © Hisao Suzuki © Hisao Suzuki © Hisao Suzuki © Hisao Suzuki © Hisao Suzuki The Architecture of Duality: Ground and Sky Campo Baeza’s work consistently revolves around a search for architectural clarity. In Casa De Blas, this clarity manifests as two boxes: a grounded concrete volume that holds the domestic program and a glass pavilion above that elevates the act of looking. The house is not merely built on the landscape; it is in dialogue with it. The conceptual strategy of Casa De Blas is rooted in a tectonic-syntactic opposition between the stereotomic base and the tectonic roof. The lower portion consists of a robust concrete platform embedded in the earth like a carved podium. This base supports a lighter glass structure above, where steel elements define the enclosure with minimal mass. The house engages the site with careful restraint. Rather than dominate the hilltop, it accepts the slope and turns its attention to the northern view of the Sierra de Guadarrama. This orientation informs light and shadow’s spatial organization and phenomenological qualities. Inside the concrete base, the architecture follows a precise logic. A service band is located toward the rear, while primary living spaces occupy the front, facing the landscape. Square window openings, deeply set into the thick walls, frame views with the intentionality of a camera obscura. These apertures do not merely let in light; they shape perception, creating a sense of distance and inwardness. The Pavilion as Apparatus for Contemplation Above this grounded core, the transparent upper volume serves as a lookout. Reached from the interior by ascending stairs, the glass box sits lightly on the podium, offering a counterpoint to the cave-like enclosure below. There is no visible carpentry, just frameless glazing and a white steel canopy, which shades the upper level while preserving its airy, open quality. The north-facing glass stretches toward the edge, embracing the panoramic view. On the southern side, the volume recedes to create a shaded void, regulating solar gain. This sectional asymmetry allows the architecture to perform environmentally without compromising its compositional purity. Campo Baeza describes the house as a literal translation of the idea of a tectonic box upon a stereotomic box. The reference is not metaphorical but structural and spatial. The upper pavilion is not a symbol of transparency but a mechanism for perception. In this way, the house operates as a philosophical instrument as much as a dwelling. Casa De Blas Proportion and Compositional Rigour The power of the project lies in the spatial sequence from the heavy to the light, from the shaded to the luminous. The contrast between these two atmospheres creates a duality of experience: shelter and openness, introspection and projection. The structural order contributes to this sense of serenity. Steel supports are arranged in double symmetry, reinforcing the composition’s static quality. Nothing feels arbitrary. Every gesture is reduced to its essential nature. The palette is limited to concrete, glass, and steel, yet the result is rich in meaning. The interior is equally restrained, avoiding superfluous detailing. It is architecture as a frame, a backdrop for landscape and thought. Campo Baeza’s work here touches the territory of the poetic, not through expressionism but through control and abstraction. Casa De Blas Plans Concept | © Alberto Campo Baeza North Elevation | © Alberto Campo Baeza East Elevation | © Alberto Campo Baeza Upper Level | © Alberto Campo Baeza Floor Plan | © Alberto Campo Baeza Section | © Alberto Campo Baeza Casa De Blas Image Gallery About Alberto Campo Baeza Alberto Campo Baeza is a Spanish architect born in 1946 in Valladolid. Renowned for his minimalist and essentialist approach, he emphasizes the interplay of light, gravity, and proportion in his designs. His notable works include the Casa Turégano, Casa de Blas, and the Caja de Granada headquarters. Campo Baeza was a full-time design professor at the Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura de Madrid (ETSAM) from 1986 until his retirement in 2017. He has received numerous accolades throughout his career, such as the RIBA International Fellowship and the Heinrich Tessenow Gold Medal, recognizing his contributions to contemporary architecture. Credits and Additional Notes Design Team: Alberto Campo Baeza, Alfonso González Gamo Structural Engineer: Julio Martínez Calzón, MC-2 Collaborators: Teresa Campos
    المصدر: archeyes.com
    #casa #blas #alberto #campo #baeza #hisao #suzukiset #hillside #sevilla #nueva #town #southwest #madrid #distilled #expression #the #architectural #dialectic #between #weight #and #lightness #earth #skydesigned #spanish #architect #house #both #act #landscape #intervention #metaphysical #construct #spatial #meditation #essential #form #material #logiccasa #technical #informationarchitects13 #baezalocation #spainarea #250m2 #2690sqftproject #year #2000photographs #suzukithis #aims #literal #translation #idea #tectonic #box #upon #stereotomic #boxlike #distillation #most #architectureonce #again #more #with #less #baezacasa #photographs #suzuki #suzukithe #architecture #duality #ground #skycampo #baezas #work #consistently #revolves #around #search #for #clarityin #this #clarity #manifests #two #boxes #grounded #concrete #volume #that #holds #domestic #program #glass #pavilion #above #elevates #lookingthe #not #merely #built #dialogue #itthe #conceptual #strategy #rooted #tectonicsyntactic #opposition #base #roofthe #lower #portion #consists #robust #platform #embedded #like #carved #podiumthis #supports #lighter #structure #where #steel #elements #define #enclosure #minimal #massthe #engages #site #careful #restraintrather #than #dominate #hilltop #accepts #slope #turns #its #attention #northern #view #sierra #guadarramathis #orientation #informs #light #shadows #organization #phenomenological #qualitiesinside #follows #precise #logica #service #band #located #toward #rear #while #primary #living #spaces #occupy #front #facing #landscapesquare #window #openings #deeply #set #into #thick #walls #frame #views #intentionality #camera #obscurathese #apertures #let #they #shape #perception #creating #sense #distance #inwardnessthe #apparatus #contemplationabove #core #transparent #upper #serves #lookoutreached #from #interior #ascending #stairs #sits #lightly #podium #offering #counterpoint #cavelike #belowthere #visible #carpentry #just #frameless #glazing #white #canopy #which #shades #level #preserving #airy #open #qualitythe #northfacing #stretches #edge #embracing #panoramic #viewon #southern #side #recedes #create #shaded #void #regulating #solar #gainthis #sectional #asymmetry #allows #perform #environmentally #without #compromising #compositional #puritycampo #describes #boxthe #reference #metaphorical #but #structural #spatialthe #symbol #transparency #mechanism #perceptionin #way #operates #philosophical #instrument #much #dwellingcasa #proportion #rigourthe #power #project #lies #sequence #heavy #luminousthe #contrast #these #atmospheres #creates #experience #shelter #openness #introspection #projectionthe #order #contributes #serenitysteel #are #arranged #double #symmetry #reinforcing #compositions #static #qualitynothing #feels #arbitraryevery #gesture #reduced #naturethe #palette #limited #yet #result #rich #meaningthe #equally #restrained #avoiding #superfluous #detailingit #backdrop #thoughtcampo #here #touches #territory #poetic #through #expressionism #control #abstractioncasa #plansconcept #baezanorth #elevation #baezaeast #baezaupper #baezafloor #plan #baezasection #image #galleryabout #baezaalberto #born #valladolidrenowned #his #minimalist #essentialist #approach #emphasizes #interplay #gravity #designshis #notable #works #include #turégano #caja #granada #headquarterscampo #was #fulltime #design #professor #escuela #técnica #superior #arquitectura #etsam #until #retirement #2017he #has #received #numerous #accolades #throughout #career #such #riba #international #fellowship #heinrich #tessenow #gold #medal #recognizing #contributions #contemporary #architecturecredits #additional #notesdesign #team #alfonso #gonzález #gamostructural #engineer #julio #martínez #calzón #mc2collaborators #teresa #campos
    ARCHEYES.COM
    Casa De Blas by Alberto Campo Baeza
    Casa De Blas | © Hisao Suzuki Set on a hillside in Sevilla la Nueva, a town southwest of Madrid, Casa De Blas is a distilled expression of the architectural dialectic between weight and lightness, earth and sky. Designed in 2000 by Spanish architect Alberto Campo Baeza, the house is both an act of landscape intervention and a metaphysical construct, a spatial meditation on essential form and material logic. Casa De Blas Technical Information Architects1-3: Alberto Campo Baeza Location: Sevilla la Nueva, Madrid, Spain Area: 250 m2 | 2,690 Sq. Ft. Project Year: 2000 Photographs: © Hisao Suzuki This house aims to be a literal translation of the idea of the tectonic box upon the stereotomic box. Like a distillation of the most essential in architecture. Once again, more with less. – Alberto Campo Baeza Casa De Blas Photographs © Hisao Suzuki © Hisao Suzuki © Hisao Suzuki © Hisao Suzuki © Hisao Suzuki © Hisao Suzuki The Architecture of Duality: Ground and Sky Campo Baeza’s work consistently revolves around a search for architectural clarity. In Casa De Blas, this clarity manifests as two boxes: a grounded concrete volume that holds the domestic program and a glass pavilion above that elevates the act of looking. The house is not merely built on the landscape; it is in dialogue with it. The conceptual strategy of Casa De Blas is rooted in a tectonic-syntactic opposition between the stereotomic base and the tectonic roof. The lower portion consists of a robust concrete platform embedded in the earth like a carved podium. This base supports a lighter glass structure above, where steel elements define the enclosure with minimal mass. The house engages the site with careful restraint. Rather than dominate the hilltop, it accepts the slope and turns its attention to the northern view of the Sierra de Guadarrama. This orientation informs light and shadow’s spatial organization and phenomenological qualities. Inside the concrete base, the architecture follows a precise logic. A service band is located toward the rear, while primary living spaces occupy the front, facing the landscape. Square window openings, deeply set into the thick walls, frame views with the intentionality of a camera obscura. These apertures do not merely let in light; they shape perception, creating a sense of distance and inwardness. The Pavilion as Apparatus for Contemplation Above this grounded core, the transparent upper volume serves as a lookout. Reached from the interior by ascending stairs, the glass box sits lightly on the podium, offering a counterpoint to the cave-like enclosure below. There is no visible carpentry, just frameless glazing and a white steel canopy, which shades the upper level while preserving its airy, open quality. The north-facing glass stretches toward the edge, embracing the panoramic view. On the southern side, the volume recedes to create a shaded void, regulating solar gain. This sectional asymmetry allows the architecture to perform environmentally without compromising its compositional purity. Campo Baeza describes the house as a literal translation of the idea of a tectonic box upon a stereotomic box. The reference is not metaphorical but structural and spatial. The upper pavilion is not a symbol of transparency but a mechanism for perception. In this way, the house operates as a philosophical instrument as much as a dwelling. Casa De Blas Proportion and Compositional Rigour The power of the project lies in the spatial sequence from the heavy to the light, from the shaded to the luminous. The contrast between these two atmospheres creates a duality of experience: shelter and openness, introspection and projection. The structural order contributes to this sense of serenity. Steel supports are arranged in double symmetry, reinforcing the composition’s static quality. Nothing feels arbitrary. Every gesture is reduced to its essential nature. The palette is limited to concrete, glass, and steel, yet the result is rich in meaning. The interior is equally restrained, avoiding superfluous detailing. It is architecture as a frame, a backdrop for landscape and thought. Campo Baeza’s work here touches the territory of the poetic, not through expressionism but through control and abstraction. Casa De Blas Plans Concept | © Alberto Campo Baeza North Elevation | © Alberto Campo Baeza East Elevation | © Alberto Campo Baeza Upper Level | © Alberto Campo Baeza Floor Plan | © Alberto Campo Baeza Section | © Alberto Campo Baeza Casa De Blas Image Gallery About Alberto Campo Baeza Alberto Campo Baeza is a Spanish architect born in 1946 in Valladolid. Renowned for his minimalist and essentialist approach, he emphasizes the interplay of light, gravity, and proportion in his designs. His notable works include the Casa Turégano, Casa de Blas, and the Caja de Granada headquarters. Campo Baeza was a full-time design professor at the Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura de Madrid (ETSAM) from 1986 until his retirement in 2017. He has received numerous accolades throughout his career, such as the RIBA International Fellowship and the Heinrich Tessenow Gold Medal, recognizing his contributions to contemporary architecture. Credits and Additional Notes Design Team: Alberto Campo Baeza, Alfonso González Gamo Structural Engineer: Julio Martínez Calzón, MC-2 Collaborators: Teresa Campos
    13 Σχόλια 0 Μοιράστηκε